The Parent Trap
by DreamStar14
Summary: Yuki and Rei are twins, but they don't know that. This is a story of destiny. HitsuHina
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I saw the Parent Trap, starring Lindsay Lohan, and I just wanted to make a story of HitsuHina love. ENJOY!!

~1~1~1~1~

Chapter 1

After the Zanpaktous all returned to their owners after the commotion with Muramasa, Toshirou and Momo grew really close. One day, they grew so close to each other, that they were inseparable. Rangiku kept saying that they were made for each other, but the two both thought it as bull.

One day Toshirou shared his story about Kusaka with Momo. She was frightened, but Toshirou let her lean on him for support.

Momo realized her feelings for him three years later, when the two were both nineteen years old. She never had the courage to tell him until two years later, when they were twenty-one, but she could never tell him, for everyone was busy. So Momo had to wait. When they were twenty-six, five years later, Toshirou told Momo first about how he really felt about her. Their first kiss was like "a God-given miracle."

They had to wait for another four years, at age thirty, before Yamamoto-soutaichou allowed them the ultimate gift, marriage. Their wedding was as perfect as anyone could ask for.

They had two children afterwards one year later, twin girls. But three months after the birth of the twins, the two lovers got into a little fight. The next day, Toshirou walked in to see Momo packing. She simply but sadly told him, "Sayonara, Shiro-kun. Take care of our other daughter, will you?" She took a twin and went out the door. Unfortunately, Toshirou didn't even bother to after her. He was too dumbfounded.

When he snapped out of his trance, he walked over to his other daughter who was standing in the doorway, crying, and comforted her. "Shh…it's okay…I'm right here…Yuki…"

Momo, meanwhile, was comforting her daughter. "It's alright, Mommy's right here…Rei…"

~13 Years Later – In Soul Society~

A knock came on the captain's door. "Who is it?"

"May I come in, Father, please?" Yuki's small and petite voice was filled with politeness.

"Yes, you may, Yuki," Toshirou answered. He allowed his daughter to enter his office. He stared at her when she walked in. "Yuki…"

"What is it, Father?" The truth was that Yuki as no longer in her Academy uniform, but in a regular black shihakusho. Around her waist was not the usual white sash, but a long blue ribbon that tied in the back. (You know, like Senna?) She also had her zanpaktou, Mizushiro, strapped to her waist.

"Did I miss you graduation? Did you graduate early?" He asked.

"Hai and…hai, Father." Yuki closed her blue eyes and smiled. "I'm in your squad. Third seat!"

Her father got up from his chair and said, "That's great, kiddo." He ruffled her sky blue, shoulder-length hair. Then he started to tickle her. She giggled happily.

~Meanwhile in Karakura Town~

"Sweetie, wake up!"

Rei rustled around in bed. "Ten more minutes, Mother…"

"It's your first day of eighth grade. You have to get up, Rei!" Momo said, shaking her daughter.

"Alright, I'm up…" Rei got up and put on her new school uniform, which was a white shirt, a red tie, a gray skirt and socks and shoes.

Rei got downstairs, picked up a piece of toast, and kissed her mom goodbye, grabbing her school bag in the process.

"Have a good day at school, sweetie!" Momo waved.

"Bye Mom! See you this afternoon!" Rei said as she ran to school.

Two different lives. Two different parents. Yet, all destined to be together again.

~1~1~1~1~

A/N: Sorry this chapter was so short. It was the intro chapter. Chapter two will be longer I promise! First some notes: Rei means Spirit/beauty. Yuki means Ice. Okay?


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Chapter 2! Wow! Enjoy!

~2~2~2~2~

~In Soul Society~

Hitsugaya Yuki sat on the couch in the Squad 10 offices, watching her father do his paperwork. Her shoulder-length sky blue hair fell forward, for she leaned her head forward so that it hit the couch in front of her. She sighed.

"Sweetie, if you're bored, you can go play with your friends," her father said, not looking up from his paperwork.

"Okay. Are you sure you don't need my help?" Yuki asked. She was always eager to help her father with anything.

"I'm sure. Just go."

Yuki ran in the direction of the doors and then on to her friend Abarai Kimiko's room, located in Squad 13.

~Squad 13~

"Hey, Yuki-chan! How are you?" Kimiko asked her friend.

"I'm good, Kimi-chan!"

"Have you found out any thing else about your mother yet?" Kimiko asked.

"No, not yet," Yuki said, somewhat sadly.

"Hey, let's go to the studio. It's time for some music," Kimiko said.

Little do you readers know, Yuki and Kimiko own the radio station, Sereitei Radio. The two are the main DJs for this station. They have every Japanese song ever made. The one who gave them the records was nonetheless, Kurosaki Ichigo and Sado Yasotura, or Chad for short.

~In Division 10 offices~

"Hey, everyone! This is Hitsugaya Yuki talking to you!" Hitsugaya Toshirou smiled at his daughter excitement. He always turned the radio on at 9:00 AM, when the girls went on. He wanted to hear his daughter on the radio.

"And this is Abarai Kimiko speaking after Yuki-chan!" Toshirou chuckled a little. Renji's and Rukia's daughter was equally excited.

"You listeners may ask why were so excited today."

"Well, we'll tell you," Kimiko said.

"If you didn't know, tonight is the night of a meteor shower!"

"If you did, good for you!"

"Let's play a song in honor of this celebration!"

"You got it, Yuki-chan! You are now listening to Rolling Star by Yui." The girls' voices faded away and the song played.

~In Karakura Town~

Hinamori Rei walked to her friend's house. The autumn breeze was very soothing. Unlike any other day, she had no school today. Today was Saturday. So today, Rei could do whatever she liked. She decided to go to her friend's house.

She knocked on the door. An orange-haired man opened the door.

"Ohayo, Kurosaki-san!" Rei said. "May I see Sakkie-chan please?"

"Yeah," Ichigo said, opening the door, letting Rei in. Rei took her shoes off and passed the kitchen, where Ichigo's wife was cooking breakfast. She stopped and went back to the doorway.

"Ohayo, Inoue-san! How are you today?"

"I'm fine Hinamori-san! And you?"

"I'm good! Where is Sakkie-chan?"

"Sakura's in her room right now. You can go up if you want to," Orihime said.

So Rei went upstairs to her friend's room. "Sakkie-chan! Are you in here?"

"Of course I am!" Sakura said. "Come in."

Rei opened the door to find her friend sitting in the bed going through some newspaper articles.

"Thank God you showed up, Rei-chan! I thought I would never get through all of these articles alone. We are the chief editors after all."

Since Yuki and Kimiko are the main DJs of a radio station, Rei and Sakura are the chief editors of the school newspaper.

"Alright, I'll help you. And then we'll go see that new movie, you've always wanted to see, okay?"

"Sure." She separated the articles into two separate piles. "You take that pile and I'll take this one."

Just then, Ichigo came in with his Substitute badge in hand and in Shinigami form.

"Girls, there's a Hollow on the loose," he said.

"On it!" The two girls said in unison. They both pulled out their badges and got out of their gigais.

~With the Hollow~

"Give me a hand, Kurosaki!" Ishida shouted.

"Let me try!" Momo said. Yeah, she still had her powers. "Hajike, Tobiume!"

Tobiume went into Shikai mode. It seemed that Momo was winning, but then the Hollow lifted his arm, or paw, and slammed her to the ground.

"MOMMA!" Rei shouted. Her face turned to a look of determination. She unsheathed her zanpaktou. "Burn All Who Stand In Your Way, Aries!"

Blasts of fire circled around and made one big beam that shape-shifted itself into a red, flaming phoenix. Aries distracted then Hollow while Ichigo jumped up, lifted Zangetsu, and sliced the Hollow's mask. The Hollow disintegrated, leaving Karakura Town in peace one again.

~In Rukongai~

People were running, but some were staying, trying to fight the Hollow and make it let the little girl go.

"No, this girl's close to food I've had in five days. I won't be letting her go anytime soon."

The Hollow continued its attack, until a voice cut him off.

"Hadou 33: Sokatsui!" The Hollow's arm was burned, and the little girl was dropped and she fell to the ground, unharmed.

"How many times do we have to say it? Stay away from this place!"

The people looked to the direction of the voice and saw the Captain of the 10th Division with his lieutenant along side of him, with swords drawn. Behind them was about half of the division.

The Hollow ingorned them and attacked some more innocent people, including a certain blue-haired girl in a Shinigami uniform.

"Big mistake…" Toshirou said. "Soten ni Zase, Hyourinmaru!" The ice dragon forced the Hollow to release Yuki, who fell to the ground unharmed. Rangiku ran over to her captain's daughter to see if she was alright.

"I'm fine Rangiku-san," Yuki said. "How's Daddy?"

Toshirou was still fighting the Hollow. By the looks of it, he probably had a sprained ankle and a bleeding arm.

"Daddy's getting hurt…"

"Of course he is!" Rangiku said. "He is a Shinigami! Every Shinigami gets hurt!"

"I'll help him then!" Yuki unsheathed her zanpaktou. "Call Forth the Snowstorm, Mizushiro!" Her zanpaktou grew a ten-foot ribbon. Soon the Hollow's arm was frozen and it could barely move because of all the ice from Hyourinmaru and Mizushiro. And with that done, Rangiku jumped up with Haineko and sliced the Hollow's mask and left Rukongai in peace once again.

~Later that Day~

"What!? Mom, I am not going!" Rei shouted.

"Oh, come on!" Momo begged her daughter. "It's just for three weeks! Sakura will be there! And besides, your not going anywhere except Urahara Kisuke's shop! It's a camp for young Shinigami. This camp is a chance to build up your powers."

"Alright, I'll go!" Rei said. "Besides, I want to beat those Hollows' butts when I see them again."

Momo just laughed.

~Karakura~

"So, Daddy, you want me to go to this camp? Uh…why?" Yuki asked.

"Yes, I want you to go to this camp. It's to improve your skills. I'm not saying your skills are bad, I'm just saying that they could eventually reach mine."

"You're a Captain, Daddy. A Captain of the Gotei 13. I'm just a third seat. I can't match your skills or reiatsu."

"You can eventually match my skills, but your reiatsu, you've already have."

Yuki tipped her head to the side, raising one of her eyebrows in the process. "What do you mean, Daddy?"

"When you're born, you already have your reiatsu. You don't have your skills though. You improve your skills. But your reiatsu determines whether you're a Shinigami or not. If you are a Shinigami, it determines you ranking."

"So basically, what your saying, Daddy, is that I should be a Captain like you?"

Toshirou merely nodded.

"But you reiatsu, Dad, is really weak. In fact, I can't even sense it."

"I'm sealing it off right now. That's why."

"Okay, then why was it so weak in the battle against the Hollow this morning? In the Academy, when I released my reiatsu for the first time, people backed away like about fifteen feet, like I was some monster or something."

"I was releasing only a small amount of it. If I ever get mad or the looks of the battle are coming out that my opponent is going to win, I release the full power of my reiatsu," Toshirou said. "But trust me, my reiatsu is very powerful, just like yours, sweetie."

"Okay. If I'm going to be a future captain, I'm going to Urahara-san's camp thing."

"You might want to pack now. You're leaving tonight."

There was a small silence. "Why didn't you tell me before?!"

Toshirou sighed. Here we go again. But he still managed to keep his stoic face. "Sweetie, just listen to me. You do not, under any circumstances, want to see my bad side. Just go to your room and pack. Then we'll talk about other things."

"Alright, Dad," Yuki said. With that, she ran out of her father's office to her room to pack.

~2~2~2~2~

A/N: Hope you liked it! Review, please!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: ENJOY!

~3~3~3~3~

Hitsugaya Yuki was finally at Urahara Kisuke's shop by sunset. There were only about four boys with her. They were standing and conversing with each other right outside the shop door. Well, everyone except her and Urahara-san.

She finally saw Abarai Kimiko there. Yuki waved to her friend. Kimiko waved back.

"Konnichiwa, Yuki-chan!" Kimiko shouted with joy. "You're going to be at this camp thing, too?!"

"Yeah. Daddy says that I have a captain level reiatsu," Yuki said, calmly.

"Well, my daddy says that I have lieutenant type reiatsu," Kimiko said. Then she said, "Oh! You want to see my new tattoo my daddy gave me?"

"Sure." Kimiko raised up her sleeve and showed Yuki the super-cool heart tattoo on her forearm.

Meanwhile, Hinamori Rei and Kurosaki Sakura were walking toward Urahara-san's Shop.

"So, here it is. Urahara Shoten," Sakura announced. The two girls went inside.

After every kid was settled, Urahara made his speech.

"Hello, everybody! I'm Urahara Kisuke! And beside me is Yoruichi! We are both going to your instructors for the next three weeks!" Then he got serious and held his fan in front of his face. "I see that most of you are from the Soul Society. We seem to have a few from Karakura Town itself. I'm sure some of you have heard of Mod Souls. These are three of them." He pointed to the three mod souls. "Ririn, Kurodo, and Nova. They will show you to your rooms."

A few minutes later, everyone was in their rooms. Yuki and Kimi were roommates. They gently laid out their things, before Yoruichi came in.

"Alright you two, showers are to your right, Rec room's to your left, and Mess hall's straight ahead. Chow's at seven, twelve-fifteen, and six-thirty. Kisuke gives five demerits for being tardy, so don't be."

The next morning, six girls and six boys, all in shihakushos, had arrived for breakfast. The twelve kids spilt into two lines of six and approach a central buffet table.

In one line is Yuki. In the other line, headed right toward her, is Rei. Both Rei and Yuki were busy talking to their friends and didn't notice each other.

As Rei reached the front of the line and approached the buffet table, Yuki did the same. For a split second, they stood directly next to each other. Just as they were about to turn around and see each other, Urahara stepped between them with a plate full of food.

"Excuse me, girls ... I've just got to have a scoop of those gorgeous blueberries," He said, holding a large spoonful. He turned to Yuki. "Care for some?"

"Oh, no thanks, can't, I'm allergic." Yuki took her plate and moved off.

Urahara turned to Rei on his other side

"How bout you, dear? Blueberries?"

"Sorry, wish I could but I'm allergic," Rei said, apologetically.

Urahara was confused, and looked back to Yuki, who was nowhere in sight.

"Oh, yes, allergic." He paused. "You just told me that! How'd you get over there? Oh, well, first day of running a camp... You'll have to excuse the ol' man. At least I'm not putting salt in the sugar shakers yet. I mean, sugar in the..." he paused and turned back to Rei, who was also gone. "Now, where'd she go?"

Later that day, at a fencing match to bring up the kids' swords skills in the underground training room, two kids, a girl and a boy, each wearing nylon jackets and wire-mesh masks, were in the middle of a duel. The girl was whipping the boy's butt, and she knocked his sword out of his hand and pinning him against the wall. The other campers applauded and cheered.

Both kids took off their masks to see Yuki as the victor.

"Touche! Excellent, kids," Yoruichi exclaimed. She raised Yuki's arm. "The winner and still undefeated champ, Hitsugaya Yuki!"

Yuki took a bow and moved off with Kimiko. Rei and Sakura passed by in time to hear Yoruichi say, "Do we have any challengers?"

Rei pulled on a mask. "Sure. I'll take a whack at it."

She snaped on a vest, flipped the training sword into the air and caught it, then nodded to Yoruichi.

Yoruichi blew her whistle. "En garde!"

Yuki, still in her mask, turned to see Rei in her mask and vest. Rei saluted briskly with her sword. Yuki hesitates, but then did the same. They stood on guard... looking like bookends. Yoruichi blew the whistle again and the duel began!

Yuki lunged, Rei parried, then attacked. Yuki tried to knock the sword out of Rei's hand but Rei deflected the blade, whirled around and lunged. Point for Rei!

Yuki got the jump on Rei and came in low. Point!

Yuki lunged but Rei caught her sword and swept it in a full circle, pulling them together, mask-to-mask. They broke.

Yuki charged but Rei side-stepped and Yuki ran past her. Yuki stopped and whipped around to find Rei lunging toward her. Yuki stepped back, lost her balance and fell butt-first into a water trough, landing with a huge splash. The campers exploded with laughter.

Rei reached out to help Yuki but Yuki grabbed Rei's hand and yanked her into the trough. The campers cracked up as the two girls sat soaking, side-by-side. They climbed out together and angrily pulled off their masks. Yuki tossed her letdown hair as Rei squeezed her hair bun dry.

"Looks like we got ourselves a new camp champ. Miss Hinamori Rei! Let's shake hands, girls," Yoruichi shouted.

Neither girl turned around.

"Girls!"

Rei and Yuki turned, hands extended. And for the first time, they looked into each other's faces. They froze. They were speechless. It was like looking into a mirror. Yuki extended her hand. Rei reached for it. As their hands touched, something electric passes between them. Rei and Yuki looked down at their hands, then up at each other, not knowing what to say. Just then, their friends, Kimiko and Sakura, joined them and they immediately slipped their hands into their pockets, at the same time. Their friends stopped in their tracks and looked from Rei to Yuki, stunned at the resemblance. The lunch bell rang and everyone else in the training room ran toward the Mess Hall.

"Why's everyone staring?" Yuki asked.

"Don't you see it?" Rei asked.

"See what?"

"The resemblance between us."

"Between you and me?! A resemblance? Let me see, turn sideways…" Rei did. "Now the other way…" Rei did. "Well, your eyes are much closer together than mine. Your ears stick out, your teeth are crooked and that nose…well, don't worry, those things can be fixed."

Kimiko laughed.

"Want me to deck her for you?" Sakura asked. She did learn her karate skills from Tatsuki, her father, and her grandfather.

"Hold on, I'm not quite finished. You want know the real difference between us?" Yuki said.

"I have class and you don't? Or I know how to fence and you don't? Take your pick." Rei retorted.

Yuki angrily stepped forward but Yoruichi stepped in between them.

"Okay, ladies, time to break-up this little love fest. Rei…Yuki…" She pointed to Yuki when she said Rei, and to Rei when she said Yuki. "I mean, Yuki…Rei…" She corrected her mistakes.

The lunch bell rang again. Sakura pulled Rei away, as Kimiko pulled Yuki in the other direction.

"That girl is a major loser. Too bad you couldn't look like somebody cooler," Kimiko said angrily to Yuki.

"She has red hair, and I have blue," Yuki retorted. "We do not look alike."

"Do we really look as much alike as I think we do?" Rei asked her friend.

"It's just a weird freak of nature," Sakura slapped Rei on the back. "Please accept my condolences."

Rei looked back at Yuki, who was sneaking a look back at her. She quickly turned away.

One night later, Rei was sitting in the lounge with the other campers. She had her deck of cards out. She was playing poker with all the campers and she was winning big time.

"Sorry, ladies, read 'em and weep." Rei spread out a full house. The others groaned and tossed in their hands as Rei raked in the pot.

"So... that's it... no other takers?"

"You've already taken everybody..." a random boy said.

A crisp new five-dollar bill flew onto the Japanese-style table.

"Not everybody."

Everybody looked up to see Yuki standing over Rei with a smirk on her face.

As Rei dealed the cards, a series of quickshots of Rei and Yuki, were going one-on-one... shuffling, dealing, drawing, bluffing... First Rei raked in the pot... then Yuki... then Rei... it was back and forth... until finally the entire pot sat in front of Yuki, and Rei was down to her last dollar.

Yuki tossed in her bet. "Three bucks."

Rei checked her hand. She was holding a straight. She bit her lip, knowing she held a winning hand.

"Tell you what I'm gonna do, since you're almost tapped out... I'll make you a deal. Loser jumps into the river in Karakura Town after the game," Yuki said.

"Excellent."

"But nude."

"Even more excellent." Rei revealed her hand. "Queen high straight."

But Yuki spread a full house across the table. "Start unzipping, Hinamori…full house."

At the river, Rei's bare feet stepped away from her fallen clothes.

The other campers were huddled on the shore holding candles. Yuki stood in the center of the group with a content smile on her face.

Rei reached the dock, teeth chattering. She turned back, looks at the campers, with the boys holding their noses, trying not to get a nosebleed, even though Rei's body was covered by shadows. Yuki and Kimiko waved. Rei saluted them.

Rei gracefully sliced through the water in a perfect dive. Rei popped up in the water, and looked out at the campers but they had left.

Rei's wet feet hurried across the sand and arrived at where her clothes were but all that's left was her sandals.

"Let the games begin…Hitsugaya…let the games begin…" Rei said with venom seeping into her voice.

The next day before dinner, Yuki and Kimiko were trudging to their room after a kidou class. They were hot, sweaty and tired.

"I swear I heard that girl sneezing all the way across the mess hall this morning," Kimiko laughed.

"I'm so tired. I'm crawling back into bed and sleeping until dinner," Yuki yawned.

Kimiko stopped, looking into the room. "That does not seem like a possibility."

"Why not?"

"That's 'why not'," Kimiko said pointing into their room.

Yuki stopped in her tracks, and her eyes went wide. Their once-clean room was now a total pigsty.

"No way…"

That night, the door to Sakura and Rei's room squeaked open and Yuki stepped inside. She signaled "the coast is clear" and Kimiko tiptoed in carrying strange, unidentifiable objects. They both quickly went to work.

A jar of honey was opened and poured into a pair of Addidas. A can of shaving cream was squirted onto a pillowcase. A ball of twine was wound around a bedpost, and then zigzagged across the room. An industrial-size can of chocolate was emptied into a bucket. Wesson Oil was poured all over the floor.

In the morning, Kurodo played the wake up song on a bugle, very badly.

The room looked like one giant spider web. Mazes of string were everywhere. The sound of Emille echoed through the room as Sakura got out of bed. She slid in the Wesson Oil, got stuck in the honey, tripped over the string…lots of yelling and screaming. Rei stood dripping in shaving cream.

"She's without a doubt, the lowest, most awful creature that ever walked the planet!" Rei shouted.

Yuki and Kimiko were meanwhile peeking in the window, thrilled with their achievement.

"Thank you. Thank you very much," Yuki said in an Elvis voice. Kimiko laughed.

Just then, the Urahara and Yoruichi appeared behind them, clipboards in hand.

"Morning, girls."

"Morning, Urahara-san," the two girls said, not looking out of the window. Then they freaked out. "Urahara-san?!?!"

Yoruichi shouted as she neared the door to Rei's room, "Kurosaki, Hinamori, Surprise inspection! Ten-shun! Kisuke, why don't you do the honors?"

Urahara nodded and reached for the door handle but Yuki rushed to him.

"No, no, don't go in there!" Yuki said.

Rei put her ear next to the door and listened, wondering what Yuki was up to.

"One of the girls got sick last night and it's a big mess. Save yourself the aggravation. It's really disgusting."

"Well, if someone's sick, dear, then I must go in."

Urahara started to open the door, not realizing he was pulling on a string attached to a bucket that was about to tip right over his head. Yuki's eyes shot up to the bucket, then back to Urahara.

"No, really, let go of that door. I insist. She's highly contagious."

"Actually, we're all fine in here. Unless Hitsugaya Yuki knows something we don't know," Rei shouted through the window. Rei watched Yuki's eyes go up to the bucket. "Open the door and come on in, Urahara-san."

With that, Urahara slid open the door, tipping the bucket, which was filled with Hershey's Syrup. Urahara was instantly covered head-to-toe in chocolate. Yoruichi screamed, and slipped in the syrup, and tumbled to the ground. Urahara turned to Yuki, slowly wiping the syrup from his eyes.

"Well, congrats, ladies…"

A few moments later, Rei and Yuki stood side-by-side as Urahara paced in front of them, holding a towel, still wiping off chocolate. Yoruichi stood at his side, also spotted in chocolate.

"That little stunt was the most revolting display of hooliganism ever to take place on these hollowed grounds," Urahara said.

"Amen," Yoruichi said.

"And worst of all, coming from two sisters who should be setting an example for the entire…"

"We're not sisters, sir," Rei said.

Urahara turned, and looked at them.

"We've never even seen each other before," Yuki added.

"That's impossible," Urahara said. He remembered Toshirou's and Momo's huge fight.

"I'm afraid the look-alike thing has been the crux of the problem, Kisuke," Yoruichi said, also remembering the fight.

"Well, whatever the excuse, I recommend immediate dismissal."

"You're sending us home?" Yuki asked, afraid of what her father would say.

"That does somehow say we failed, doesn't it, Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked.

"All right, all right…let me just think…" Urahara said.

Yoruichi said under her breath, "Uh-oh."

Rei and Yuki both bit their lips, nervously awaiting their fate.

After lunch, the two ex-captains led Rei and Yuki away from their rooms and up a long winding hill on the training grounds. Yuki balanced her duffel bag on her shoulder, as Rei struggled, her arms full of luggage. The rest of the campers marched in a line behind them.

The two ex-captains caught their breath as they led Rei and Yuki into a bunk with just two cots and two trunks.

"We've got fourteen days left at camp, two weeks, and you two are going to spend every glorious one of them together. You'll eat together, bunk together and do all your activities together. Either you'll find a way to get along or you'll punish yourselves better than I ever could," Urahara said.

"You'll thank us for this, you'll see," Yoruichi told the two before she and Urahara left.

The two left, leaving Rei and Yuki alone and worse, with each other. Rei lifted her suitcases onto the bed and neatly started unpacking her things. Yuki, on the other hand, flipped open her trunk, unzipped her duffel and shook her things out like she was emptying a bag of potato chips into a bowl.

For the next five days, the girls did not speak to each other at all. Nada. On the fifth day, a terrible storm started brewing.

Yuki, in flannel PJ's and a sweatshirt, was pinning up postcards and photos above her cot. Rei, in a matching sweater and pants, played solitaire. Now and then, they each snuck a glance at the other.

A sudden gust of wind blew the door open, sending Yuki's stack of photos flying into the air. Yuki screamed, trying to save them, as Rei rushed to the door and bolted it shut. Together, the girls tied down the blinds. Rei found Yuki's favorite stuffed animal, Ryuu, lying on the floor and hands him to Yuki. Ryuu was a stuffed dragon, which is why she called him Ryuu.

"Arigatou," Yuki said, taking Ryuu.

"Any of your pictures ruined?" Rei asked.

"Only the beautiful Leo DiCaprio." Yuki held out a torn photo.

"Oh, your boyfriend?"

"Yeah, right," Yuki said sarcastically. "You've never heard of Leonardo DiCaprio?"

"I've heard of Leonardo DiVinci."

"How far away is your house anyway?"

"From here, six thousand feet. But sometimes, it seems much further. How far away is your home?"

"My house is actually in another world. Actually, here's a picture of the city," Yuki said, showing Rei a photo of Sereitei.

"Wow. It's beautiful." Rei was awed at the sight of Soul Society. "So, that's what Sereitei looks like."

"We've got this incredible porch that wraps around the whole house with rocking chairs and a hammock and stables back that away…and this great pool with a sliding board…" Yuki was talking about Division 10.

"How cool." She pointed to another picture of Toshirou whose back was turned. "Who's that?"

"Oh, that's my Dad... He didn't know I was taking a picture or he would've turned around. He's kinda like my best friend. We do everything together."

Rei reacted strangely, as if chilled. She rubbed the goosebumps on her arms.

"What's wrong?"

Rei pulled down her sleeves. "It's chilly in here, that's all."

Yuki crossed the room to her trunk and took out a bag of oreos. Then she turns and sees Rei watching her.

"Want one?" Yuki asked.

"Sure. I love Oreos. At home, I eat them with peanut butter."

"You do? That's so weird. So do I." Yuki was surprised.

"You're kidding? Most people find that totally disgusting."

"I know. I don't get it," Yuki agreed.

"Me neither."

The two laughed, feel a little guilty for enjoying each other's company, then laughed even harder. Yuki dug a jar of peanut butter from her trunk and opened it. The girls started eating.

"What's your dad like? I mean, is he the kind of father you can talk to or is he one of those workaholic types that says, 'I'll talk to you later, honey', but never really does? I hate that," Yuki said.

"I don't have a father, actually. I mean I had one, once, I suppose, but my parents divorced years ago. My mother never even mentions him. It's like he evaporated into thin air or something."

"It's scary the way nobody stays together any more."

"Tell me about it," Rei agreed.

Both girls were devouring their Oreos and peanut butter.

"How old are you?" Yuki asked.

"I'll be fourteen on February 14th."

Yuki choked. "So will I."

"Your birthday's February 14th?"

Yuki nodded.

"How weird is that?" Rei asked.

"Very," Yuki said. Then she looked out the window. "Hey, it stopped raining. Want to get a Popsicle or something?"

Rei walked to Yuki and looked her up and down, really studying her, playing with her lotus flower hair clip. Yuki, feeling her eyes on her, also played with her hair clip.

"What's the matter?" Yuki asked.

"Yuki, what's your mother like?"

"I never met her. She and my dad split up when I was a baby, maybe even before, I'm not sure. He doesn't like to talk about her…but I know she was really beautiful."

"How do you know that?"

"Because my Dad had this old picture of her hidden in his sock drawer and he caught me looking at it all the time so he gave it to me to keep. I'm really thirsty, you sure you don't want to go to the canteen and get something to drink?"

"Will you stop thinking about your stomach at a time like this?" Rei asked.

"At a time like what?" Yuki asked, totally clueless.

"Don't you realize what's happening?!? Don't you find it peculiar that we both look so much alike and have the same birthday and…oh man, this is beyond coincidence, and this is beyond imagination! I only have a mother. You only have a father. You've never seen your Mom. I've never seen my Dad. You have one old picture of your Mom, I have one old picture of my Dad but at least yours is probably a whole picture." Yuki listened to Rei's rant and then went over to her trunk.

"Mine's a pathetic little thing, ripped right down the middle…what are you rummaging in your trunk for?" Rei continued.

"This. It's the picture of my Mom. And it's ripped, too," Yuki said, taking out a ripped photo.

"Right down the middle?" Rei asked, a little spooked.

"Right down the middle." Yuki nodded, nervously.

Rei rushed to her trunk, wildly tossing out her things. She pulled out a small box, opened it and carefully took out her ripped photograph. She walked over to Yuki, holding it to her chest.

"This is so freaky. Okay. On the count of three, we'll show them to each other, okay?"

"One... two..." they both said together. " Three!" They held out their pictures.

"That's Dad!" Yuki said, pointing at Rei's photo.

"That's Mom!" Rei said, pointing to Yuki's photo.

The two torn pictures which, when placed next to each other, fit perfectly, forming one complete picture. In the picture, Momo sat cozily next to Toshirou. Behind the couple was a life preserver with the names 'Hitsugaya' and 'Hinamori' on it. They were both smiling.

The girls stared at the photo, then at each other. A formality of strangeness settled on them. They both reached for their hair clips. Then, the lunch bell sounded.

"That's the lunch bell," Rei said.

"I'm not so hungry anymore. So if your mom is my mom and my dad is your dad... and we're both born on February 14th, then you and I are... like... sisters," Yuki said.

"Sisters?!? Yuki, we're twins!!!"

Frozen, Rei laughed then tears come to her eyes. Yuki's eyes filled up and soon tears streaked her cheeks. They put their arms around each other and embraced, sobbing. They pulled apart, looked at each other, smiled, and then began to laugh. Yuki played nervously with her hair clip.

"What's that hair clip you're playing with?" Rei asked.

"Oh, I got it when I was born. It has my initial 'Y' on it."

Rei showed hers. "I got mine when I was born, too. Except mine has an 'R' on it.

"Now I've got goose-bumps," Yuki said. "Oh my God. I'm a twin?!? There's two of me! I mean, two of us? Wow! This is like... I have to sit down."

Yuki took a seat on Rei's bed.

Rei sat down next to her. "I think I'll join you."

They sat for a split second, then:

"Can I see your toes?"

"Sure," Rei said, pulling off her socks.

Yuki kicked off her shoes and they held their feet out in front of them, side-by-side.

"Identical! Hands?" Rei exclaimed.

They held out their hands together.

"Oh my god. Exactly the same. Except I bite my nails."

"You should stop. See how nice they could look," Rei advised.

"What's your favorite word?" Yuki asked.

"Taco."

"Oh my God! Oh my God!"

"If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?"

"I don't know. Pizza…" Yuki said.

"Topped with…?"

"Ham, pineapple…"

"And…?" Rei waited.

"Extra cheese."

"Oh my God. We are twins!"

The girls hugged.

At dinner, Rei and Yuki sat at their Isolation Table, talking a mile-a-minute.

"I don't know what our parents fought about but it must've been pretty dreadful for them to bisect us like this," Rei said.

"I can't imagine anyone not getting along with Dad. Everyone loves him," Yuki said.

"I know, same with Mom."

"Tell me about her, what's she like?" Yuki asked.

"She's a clothing designer."

"Get out!" Yuki exclaimed.

"She designs the most beautiful wedding gowns. That's her specialty. She's becoming quite famous, actually. A Princess in Greece just bought one of her gowns," Rei said.

"Wow."

"You know what's interesting - neither of them ever got married again. Has your…my… our Dad ever been close to remarrying?"

"Never. He always says I'm the only girl in his life," Yuki said, proudly.

"Mom's never come close either. You know what this means, don't you?"

"Not exactly. You're obviously the older one. You get everything before me. What does it mean?"

"Secretly, in their innermost heart of hearts, they must still be in love with each other," Rei whispered.

"You think so? Then why haven't they tried to see each other all these years?" Yuki asked.

"That's the way true love works. History's filled with stories of lovers parted by some silly misunderstanding. Anyway, Mom can be unbelievably stubborn when she wants to be."

"She can't be worse than Dad. Dad has an awful temper. He always yells at Rangiku-san."

"They sound exactly like us," Rei said, laughing.

That night, the peacefulness was interrupted by Yuki.

"Oh my God!"

Yuki bolted straight up in bed.

"I have a brilliant beyond brilliant idea." Yuki got out of bed and paced around the room. "I'm a genius. Rei, wake up, you're related to a bonafide genius."

"What are you raving about?" Rei asked, sleepily.

"You want to know what Dad is like, right?" Yuki asked.

"I was just dreaming I was on your front porch with him."

"And I'm dying to know Mom. So what I'm thinking is…Oh man, this is so brilliant, it's scary."

"What is it?!?" Rei really wanted to know.

"I think we should switch places. When camp's over, I leave as you and go back to Karakura Town and you leave as me and go to Soul Society." She noticed Rei's look. "We can pull it off. We're twins, aren't we?"

"Twins from different countries, with different accents, different hair-styles, different vocabularies…different everything. Yuki, we're totally and completely one hundred percent different." Rei had high doubts about it.

"So? What's the problem? I'll teach you to be me and you teach me to be you." Yuki got down on her knees. "C'mon, I gotta meet Mom."

Rei got out of bed.

"The truth is, you know, if we switch, sooner or later they'll have to un-switch us."

"And when they do, they'll have to meet again."

"Face-to-face. After all these years."

There was a small silence.

"I told you I'm brilliant," Yuki said.

The next day, Yuki wore her now red hair in Rei's red bun holder and Rei wore her now blue hair down. Yuki held a large pad on which she had drawn the layout of the Tenth Division.

"Okay, the rooms are all in this building. My room is right next to Dad's, which is right here. Training room's here…Dad's office is the first door down the hall. You have to knock, because if you don't, he'll get pissed off… Down here is…" Yuki said, pointing to each room.

After lunch, Rei and Yuki sat on the edge of a cliff, looking through a stack of photos, as the campers sparred behind them. Rei now had blue eye contacts and Yuki now had red eyes contacts.

"This is Kon."

"He's so cute. What do we call him?" Yuki asked.

"Kon."

"That makes sense."

Rei shows the next photo. "This is Keigo. He's our 'butler'."

"We have a butler?" Yuki asked. Rei nodded.

A week later, the walls were covered with charts, photos and diagrams of Rei's Karakura House and Yuki's Division Ten House. Yuki suddenly came to realize something.

"Oi!"

"What Yuki?"

"Can you do kidou?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Good, because we also have to switch powers too…" Rei frowned.

"You mean we have to…" Yuki nodded slowly.

"Switch zanpaktous…" But nonetheless, they switched them.

When camp was finally over, on the last morning, teary-eyed campers were hugging good-bye, as they separated into two groups.

Sakura and Kimiko hug each other goodbye, for they are now friends. Yuki was now dressed in Rei's red sash and Rei is dressed in Yuki's blue sash.

"Okay, so remember, you're going to find out how Mom and Dad met…" Rei said.

"…And you're gonna find out why they broke up…" Yuki finished.

"Hinamori Rei! Your group's leaving! Hinamori Rei, front and center!" Yoruichi called.

"That's you. Also, remember, you've got to figure out a way to bring Mom out to Soul Society," Rei explained.

"Last call, Hinamori Rei!" Yoruichi called.

The girls hugged.

"Give Dad a kiss for me," Yuki said.

"And give Mom one for me."

Yuki nodded and took off. Rei watched her, playing with her hairclip. "Oh my God! Yuki! I mean, Rei!"

Yuki turned around.

"The hairclips!" Rei called.

Yuki rolled her eyes, ran back and the girls quickly switched hairclips, hugged good-bye and Yuki took off again.

Rei watched Yuki from the crowd. Rei crossed her arms, and then crossed her fingers.

"Good luck, Yuki," Rei whispered.

~3~3~3~3~

A/N: I hoped you enjoyed it!


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay, this is it. Oh, God, I hope she likes me. Please like me," Yuki was saying to herself as her group walked down the streets.

A few minutes later, Yuki was walking alone around a block. She cautiously rounded a corner, looking into the sea of faces waiting on the sidewalk for the bus, when she heard:

"Rei!"

Yuki looked up to see Keigo pushing through the crowd with Rei's gigai, which was occupied by a soul. Keigo was holding a small bouquet of flowers

"Keigo-san!" Yuki said, as she entered Rei's gigai. She rushed to him and gave him a big hug.

"You look fantastic."

"Did you miss me?" Yuki asked.

"Oh, yes, terribly."

The two were walking down the street in Karakura. Yuki had her hands behind her back, and smiled happily as she soaked up the sights.

"This is so amazing! What a city!" Yuki breathed out.

"Three weeks at camp and suddenly you act like a American tourist," Keigo said.

"That's what camp's for, silly. Makes you appreciate home."

As they neared the house, Yuki took everything in. The house was a regular house on one of Karakura's loveliest streets. When they got up the steps, Keigo opened the door for Yuki.

"Arigatou, Keigo-san." Yuki entered the house.

The inside of the house was a beautiful, sun-filled house with a fantastic carved staircase. Yuki stood in the foyer, feeling very small.

"Hello?" Yuki called.

She peeked into the Living Room, but didn't see anyone. She headed around the stairs, counting the doorways and stops at kitchen where she sees a stuffed lion reading the newspaper.

"Kon, I'm home," Yuki whispered.

Kon put the paper down.

"Is that my Nee-san? That tall gangly thing?"

"Hai, it's me." Yuki took Kon in her arms and cuddled him.

"Did you have a good time, Nee-san?" Kon asked.

"Uh-huh…Great…" She sniffed him.

"What are you doing?" Kon asked, amused.

"Just smelling."

"Smelling?"

"I'm making a memory. Years from now, when I'm all grown up, I'll remember my Kon and how he always smelled of cotton."

Kon smiled. Then they were interrupted by a voice.

"Rei...!"

Yuki looked up to the balcony at the top of the stairs and sees her mother, for the first time in her life. Hinamori Momo was a natural beauty in her mid-thirties. Yuki walked trance-like to the bottom of the stairs.

"Mother?" Yuki asked.

"Honey, welcome home!" Momo exclaimed.

Momo rushed down the stairs as Yuki flew up toward her. Yuki fell into her mother's arms, tears flooding her red-contacted eyes.

"I can't believe it's you," Yuki said.

"And I can't believe it's you."

Yuki looked up at her Mother with tears in her eyes.

"What is it, sweetie?" Momo asked, worry seeping into her voice.

"I'm sorry, it's just…I've missed you so much."

Momo hugged her daughter. "Can you believe it? It seems like it's been forever."

"You have no idea," Yuki said.

After a few minutes, Yuki takes in her mother's room... it was beautiful, feminine and gracious. Tea had been laid on a corner table. Momo led Yuki to a small love seat.

"So tell me all about camp," Momo said.

"Oh my God, I love your room, Mom... it's so... totally Mom-like," Yuki said.

"Nothing's new… it's just as Mom-like as it's always been. So…c'mon, tell me… Did you like everyone? Was it fun?" Momo said.

"Yeah, it was great and I liked this one girl a real lot, I mean… in particular. She's from Soul Society, actually," Yuki said, and then she paused. "Have you ever been to Soul Society?"

Momo poured some more tea. "Yes…once. But that was a long time ago, before you were born."

"Man-o-Manichevitz ... I didn't realize you were so beautiful," Yuki said, staring at her mother.

"'Man-o-Manichevitz' … I love your new vocabulary."

Just then, Keigo knocked on the open door and with disdain, holds up Yuki's stuffed dragon, by its wing.

"I found a stowaway in your suitcase," he said.

"Oh my God, Ryuu," Yuki exclaimed. Momo turned to her "He belongs to a girl in my bunk… I don't know how on earth he ended up in my suitcase. Gosh, whaddya know."

"Well, since he's not our 'Ryuu', shall we dispose of him?" Keigo asked.

Yuki suddenly grabbed for it. "No! I mean, no. I'll mail him to her. She loves this thing a lot. She's like slept with that thing her entire life and she could never be like in a foreign country without him. No, no, I'll take care of it, thank you, Keigo-san."

Just then, the phone rang. Momo answered it.

"Hello? Hi... Really? Can't you manage without me? Rei just got home from camp... Well, what's the problem?" Momo asked.

As Momo talked on the phone, Yuki crossed to the dresser and ran her hand across her Mother's brush, her pearls, smelled her perfume, then lifted up a photo of Momo as a little girl. Yuki looked at her mom. Momo made a face about the phone call. Yuki laughed as Momo continued on the phone.

Yuki noticed Momo's closet door open and she entered, gazing at all of her Mother's clothes. She looked at a row of evening clothes and touched the beautiful fabrics.

"Rei!"

Yuki poped out of the closet, worried she'd been caught trespassing.

"Would you mind very much running down to the studio with me?"

A few moments later, they arrived at a store called Hinamori's Designs.

"Wow, that's incredible." Yuki was looking at a beautiful wedding dress in the store window.

"Really? You don't think it's too over-the-top?" Momo asked.

"No. I love it. You know who would look really beautiful in that gown? I mean, beautiful?"

"Who?" Momo questioned.

"You." Momo seemed a but embarrassed.

"Me? I think the setting change has made you a little loopy. Come on, let's see what all the fuss is about…"

Inside the studio, a skylight filled the foyer of the converted town house with a splash of white light. A huge vase of white orchids sat on an antique table. Momo and Yuki climbed a circular stairwell, passing a Bridal Boutique on the first floor.

"You mean you never think about getting married again?" Yuki continued.

"No, I like things exactly the way they are, thank you," Momo said.

An assistant hurried past them, carrying a veil.

"Hi, Momo. Hey Rei, welcome home."

"Hi... Thanks ..." She shut her eyes, thinking hard. "Fiona! Yeah, I'm back. Thanks. But Mom, seriously, doesn't designing all these wedding gowns ever make you think about marriage… or maybe just think about the IF' word?

"The 'F' word?!"

"My 'father'," Yuki's mind went back to her father.

"Oh. That 'F' word. Well, no, actually it doesn't because I didn't even wear a wedding gown-when I married the IF' word."

"You didn't? Why not?"

"Hey, how did we get into this discussion anyway?" They arrived at a large loft filled with people)

"Okay, here we are. Now let's see what disaster awaits us," Momo said.

As they stepped into the loft, they see a photo shoot in progress. A model wore a beautiful wedding gown as a photographer shot away. Make-Up, Hair people and Assistants scurried about. Yuki watched like a kid in a candy store.

"Okay, she's here. We're saved," the photographer said.

"Uh-huh, the pressure's on," Momo whispered to Yuki.

"We don't know what to do with the veil. if she wears it, it covers the back of the dress, if she doesn't the dress looks–" the photographer explained.

"– incomplete. Right." She turned to the model. "Can you try standing sideways..? Head up, kind of an Audrey Hepburn type... that's it. That's perfect." She turned to the assistant. "Now slip the veil on and drape it back... not over her shoulders ... straight back, there you go..." She turned back to the model. "Now lift the train in your arms like you're carrying it. Don't worry about the bouquet, you're married now, you gotta learn to juggle... Beautiful. And look happy, it's your wedding day!"

The model laughed as the photographer reeled off shots.

"Mom is too cool," Yuki said.

After the commotion, Momo and Yuki made their way down the hall, passing a row of design offices. Two assistants carried a gown past them.

"So what did you wear to marry my Dad?"

"Why the sudden curiosity about your dad?" Momo asked.

"Well, maybe because he's never mentioned and you can't blame a kid for wondering..." Yuki did have a point. "So, what was he like? Really."

"Who?"

Yuki rolled her eyes.

Momo and Yuki stepped onto the street.

"Mother, you can't avoid the subject forever."

"Okay. He was quite lovely to tell you the truth. When we met, he was...actually entirely lovely. All right?"

Yuki smiled. "All right."

Then, it started to rain. Momo snapped open an umbrella.

Momo put her arm around Yuki. "Are you cold?"

"I'm fine. So, did you meet him here in London?"

Momo took Yuki's hand as they dashed across the street.

"We met in Soul Society."

"No kidding?"

"We didn't hit it off immediately. We were childhood friends."

"So, was it love at first sight?"

"I knew you were going to ask me all these questions one day. Taxi!"

Momo raised her am and hailed a cab. It splashed to a stop and they hurried inside. Momo and Yuki sat side-by-side.

So, did you see each other every single day?

"You know, this part of your personality reminds me of you father. You'd think he raised you instead of me."

"Yes, we saw each other every night, every morning and every hour in-between. Then one night, he popped the question, right there in the middle of the tenth division."

"Cool."

"And since a Head Captain can do all kinds of special things, like even marry people…"

"OhmyGod, you mean, you got married in Soul Society?" Momo nodded. "That's beyond cool. So what happened? You didn't love each other when you weren't in the middle of the Tenth Division?"

"I don't know, honey. These things are complicated. I'm very fiery and you father's very icy. I tried living in Division ten, he tried living in Division five but..."

"It just didn't work out," Yuki finished.

"No, it didn't. Except for having you."

Yuki smiled. Momo put her arm around her, and pulled her close. Yuki sighed.

"Dear old Dad. I wonder what he's doing at this very moment?" Yuki said.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Enjoy! I hope you like the 'Meredith'…

~5~5~5~5~

Meanwhile, in Soul Society, Hitsugaya Toshirou was waiting by the Senkaimon, waiting for his daughter with some other parents. He brightened and waved.

"Yuki! Hey, welcome home, kiddo!" He shouted.

Rei was carrying Yuki's duffel bag over her shoulder. She was nervous at first. Then she broke into a grin at the sight of her father, waving and smiling at her.

"Dad!!!"

Rei ran to him and stopped just as she reached him.

Rei looked up at him. "Dad... Finally..."

"Get into these arms, you little snowflake," he teased.

Toshirou wrapped his arms around Rei and pulled her close.

"I hope you had a lousy time at that camp 'cause you're never going back. I missed you too much," Toshirou teased.

Rei smiled. Toshirou looked at her.

"What happened to you? Something's changed. Did you get taller?"

They walked off, arm-in-arm, through the gardens. Toshirou was carrying Yuki's duffel.

"So, what's up, Dad? How's Rangiku and everybody?"

"Great. Everybody's great, can't wait to see you. Three weeks really is too long, Yuki. So much has been happening around here."

"A lot's happened to me, too. I feel like I'm practically a new woman."

As they walked, Rei kept peeking at Toshirou.

"What's the matter? Did I cut myself shaving?" Toshirou asked.

"No, it's just seeing you for the first time. I mean, you know... in so long." She giggled. "You look taller to me, too."

"C'mon, snowflake, let's go home."

As they are walking through the Division 10 barrack halls, Toshirou and Rei were still taking.

"Hey, by the way, thanks for all those newsy letters. I'm really glad I bought you all that personalized stationary you just had to have," Toshirou said.

"We meant to write, Dad, but we just got so busy with..."

"We?" Oops.

"Oh. Me and my friend. I met this girl at camp and we got really close. Practically like sisters. She was a lovely girl."

"'Lovely'? You seem to have gotten very proper all of a sudden." He took her hand, and looked at it. "Still biting those nails."

"Dad! You noticed!"

"Whaddya mean, noticed? You've been biting them since you got teeth."

"But I've decided to stop, Dad. It's a horrid, habit, really it is, Dad."

"'Lovely' girl ... 'Horrid', habit? Did I send you to summer camp or finishing school? And why do you keep saying 'Dad', at the end of every sentence?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was doing it, Dad." She realized she was doing it again. "Sorry, Dad."

They both laughed.

"Do you want to know why I keep saying Dad... ? The truth?"

"Because you missed your old man so much?"

"Exactly! It's because in my whole life, I mean for these past three weeks, I was never able to ever say the word 'Dad'. Never. Not once! And a Dad is an irreplaceable person in a girls' life. I mean think about it, there's a whole day, devoted to celebrating Fathers, right? Just imagine, someone's life without a Father. Never buying a Father's Day card, never getting their Father a' birthday present, never sitting on their Father's lap, never being able to say, 'Hi, Dad', 'What's up, Dad?,, 'Bye, Dad, catch you later, Dad'. A baby's first words are always Dada, aren't they? Then there's 'Daddy', 'Daddio', 'Pop', 'My old man'... Not to mention, 'Wait 'til your father gets home, and…"

"So, let me see if I get this ... you missed being able to call me Dad."

"Yeah. I really have, Dad."

Toshirou smiles as he turned a corner and slid the shoji door open. Rei took a chance to look at the room. The room was the office, which was clean for once.

"Oh my God."

"Now you sound like your old self," Toshirou chuckled. "I made Matsumoto clean it just for your return."

Shinji, Toshirou's third-seat, walked into the office, but not before knocking.

"Well, look who finally decided to come home," Shinji said.

"Hey, Shinji."

"Did your old man tell you we decided no more camp for you?"

"Yeah, he told me."

Shinji hugged Rei. "It got too quiet around here, Yuki. We couldn't stand it. Nobody's radios blasting music, nobody playing hide and seek in the barracks, nobody getting stuck up on the roof…"

Rei laughed as the shoji door swung open and Rangiku walked in, humming as if she was a one-woman welcome home band. Rangiku, the most lovable woman on the planet, early forties, warm eyes, great sense of humor, lifted Rei right off her feet.

"Hell-o, Gorgeous! You grew, you lost weight, you look fabulous, we missed you, don't let these bums talk you out of, going back to camp. You're a growing girl. You need adventure. You hungry? I made cornbread and chili. Why're you so quiet? What's wrong?"

"I'm just so happy to be home."

Toshirou passed by just then, carrying Yuki's duffel. "Did I hear something about cornbread and chili?"

"It's on the stove, Taichou…" Rangiku looked Rei over, and hugged her again.

"You've changed, Yuki ... I can't put my finger on it, but something about you has definitely changed."

Sammy, the fourth seat's golden retriever, bounded down the steps of the porch.

"Hi, Sammy!"

Sammy sniffed at Rei's socked feet, looked up at her, then backed off suspiciously, barking at her.

"What's with you, goofball! It's Yuki." But Sammy kept barking.

"I probably smell like camp, that's all."

Rei ran out to the porch steps, followed by Rangiku.

"What's wrong with you? It's like you didn't even recognize her," Rangiku said to Sammy. She turned to Rei. "Whaddya want to do first, kiddo - unpack or eat? Or eat, then unpack? Or, we can eat while we unpack."

"You mean I can eat in my room?"

Rangiku looked at her like she was nuts. "Yes, I would say that's a definite possibility."

As Rangiku and Rei headed down the hall, Toshirou entered, eating a big bowl of chili.

"Yuki, when you're done, come on outside to the porch, there's someone I want you to meet," Toshirou said.

"Okay, Dad."

"Okay, Yuki," Toshirou smiled.

Rei continued down the hall, and then she suddenly stopped. Rei turned to Rangiku.

"Someone he wants me to meet?" Rei questioned.

"He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" They reached the top of a staircase.

Rei heard the sound of a woman laughing. She looked down out of a window. She saw her father, Toshirou turn as a woman enters from the patio. The woman was a tawny beauty of twenty-six, wearing a chic short-skirt shihakusho, sleek blond hair and sandals. Toshirou took her hand.

Rei turned back to Rangiku and mouthed, "Who is that?" Rangiku motioned for Rei to follow her upstairs.

Yuki's room was sunny and warmly furnished with lots of books, CD's, snowflake pictures and blue charms. The windows were wide open and a gentle breeze billowed the curtains.

"Who's the blonde?"

"Yuki, it's none of my business how your father makes a fool out of himself, you understand? He's a big boy; he can do what he wants. He's not 4'4" anymore. He's about 5'5" now."

"Right. So who is she?"

"Her name's Tomoe Sora. She's an unseated of this division. Your father requested her two weeks ago to do some publicity for the gardens and if you ask me, she's done a better job selling herself than the flowers."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Look, you and I know your Dad's no suave debonair Bachelor of the Month-type, so I wonder what a young hot thing like her sees in a guy who walks around with his shirt-tail hanging out and his cereal bowl full of chili. Then I realized, there's a million reasons why that girl's giggling and they're all sitting in the porch swing."

"You mean you don't think she even really likes Dad…"

"What do I know? But I'll tell you one thing. This one could give Sharon Stone femme fatal lessons. She's got your father eating out of the palm of her hand. They ride together, they swim together, and they're out to dinner every night. Not to mention she treats yours truly like the shlepper help of all time, which has really endeared her to me, as you can imagine. You go down and meet her and see for yourself. Don't let me influence you."

Rei bounded down the stairs, wearing sunglasses and a faded Division 10 T-shirt over a navy blue bathing suit. She looked around, and sees lots of photos of Toshirou and Yuki when Yuki was a baby.

"We were such a cute baby," Rei said.

She was distracted when she heard Sora's laugh. Rei lowered her sunglasses, peering over them at Sora lounging by the pool ogling Toshirou.

Rei joined Toshirou and Sora under an umbrella. The mountains cascaded down from the pool creating an incredible vista.

"There's my girl! Yuki, I want you to meet a friend of mine. Honey, this is Tomoe Sora."

"Hi."

"Hi. Wow. I can't believe I'm finally meeting the famous Yuki. I've looked forward to this since two weeks ago."

"Really? Well ... here I am," Rei said.

"Toshi, she's adorable," Sora said to Toshirou.

Toshirou blushed as Rei mouthed, "Toshi?"

"The way your father talked about you I expected to meet a little girl but you're so grown up…" Sora continued.

"I'll be fourteen soon. How old are you?"

"Twenty-eight," she said, a little taken back.

"Only fourteen years older than me. How old are you again, Dad?"

"Oh, suddenly she's interested in math. I'm gonna get some more chili and a bottle of champagne to celebrate."

"What are we celebrating?" Rei asked.

Toshirou paused hesitantly.

"You're home-coming of course," Sora jumped in.

Toshirou and Sora exchanged a quick look, which is not lost on Rei. Toshirou headed toward the house as Rei sat by the pool, dunking her feet in the water. A cell-phone rang, and Sora flipped it open.

"Hello. Yes, Reverend Mosby... Uh-huh. I'll certainly ask him but I doubt if he'll be

available. I understand it's for a local charity. Um-hmmm... I'm writing it all down." She was writing nothing down. "Okay, got it. Sounds very worthwhile, I-agree but unfortunately, I see that Hitsugaya-taichou will be out of Soul Society those days. Yes, I'll be sure to mention it to him. Thank you " She snapped the phone shut. "So. How was camp, Yuki? Was it fabulous?"

"Yes, I loved it actually. My Dad's going out of Soul Society? When?"

"No, no, I just had to say that to get him out of something. You know I never heard a man talk about his daughter the way Toshi talks about you. You two are obviously incredibly close."

"We're closer than close. We're all each other has..."

Rei did a huge cannonball into the pool, splashing water all over Sora. Pissed, but controlling it, Sora walked to the edge of the pool, picked up a towel and patted herself dry as Rei popped to the surface.

"Sorry, did I get you wet, Sora?"

"Just a little bit. Hey, guess what? Your Dad took me riding the other day and he let me ride your horse. I hope that's okay with you."

"Oh, sure. Sprout's used to strange women riding her. Not that you're strange or anything. Actually, compared to the others, you seem relatively normal."

"Others? What others?"

"What others? Puh-leeze. You want the 411?"

"The 411?"

"The 'information'... the lowdown on the other women. Can't say that I blame you. I'd want to know if I was number twenty-eight ... I mean... number twenty-nine in a man's life."

"I'm number twenty-nine?!"

"Well, yes but I didn't start counting 'til I was about four. God knows how many there were before then. it's always the same routine... horseback riding through the vineyards ... long romantic dinners with his special reserve label wine... moonlight swims ... But I always say, it's none of my business if a man his age wants to make a fool out of himself. Although, maybe he's changed and you're the real thing, Sora."

Just then, Toshirou arrived with a bottle of Champagne.

Okay, here we go. A bottle of my special reserve label. You girls find something to talk about while I was gone?"

Rei smiled and dove under the water, just like a little angel.

"Does that mean 'yes'?"

"It sure does." Sora smiled at Toshirou.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Enjoy! And please read my Lost and Found story!

~6~6~6~6~

Chapter 6

Meanwhile in Karakura Town, Kon walked right past the ringing phone, reading the morning paper. Momo stood at the top of the stairs, slipping on pair of heels.

"Somebody grab that, please." Momo had heard the phone.

Keigo passed through carrying a tray with coffee on it. He picked up the phone, balancing the tray with his other hand.

"Hinamori residence... Rei?" Yuki just happened to be walking by.

"Yes, Keigo?"

Keigo did a double-take. "Oh dear, it sounded just like you on the phone." She turned to the phone. "I'm sorry, who did you wish to speak with? Rei? Of course. One moment, please."He handed the phone to Yuki. "A Minako Aino for you... Sounds like your twin."

"My twin? Very funny." Yuki said. "Hello? Oh, Minako, how you doin'?"

Meanwhile, Rei held the phone as she crossed the bedroom. She snuck into the bathroom and locked the door.

"Hey! How's it going over there?" Rei asked.

"Oh, everything's quite lovely here. We're expecting a bit of rain today but Minako, can you... hold on for a moment?"

Yuki saw that the coast was clear and ducked into the coat closet, shutting the door just as Keigo walked past. He did another double-take...

_Where'd she go? _Keigo thought.

In the closet, Yuki pulled a string above her head, turning on the light.

"Okay, now I can talk. Oh my God, Mom's incredible. I cannot believe I've lived my entire life without knowing her. She's beautiful and fun and smart and I love the gowns she designs and I got her talking about how she and Dad first met and what happened between them and if you ask me-"

Rei whistled into the phone. "Yuki! Stop! We've got a major problem. You're going to have to bring Mom out here immediately."

"Immediately? Are you nuts? I've had one day with her. I'm just getting to know her. I can't. I refuse."

"But this is an emergency. Dad's in love."

Yuki laughed. "Get out of here. Dad doesn't fall in love. I mean, not seriously."

"Trust me, he's serious about this one. He's always holding her hand, kissing her neck, waiting on her hand and foot."

Yuki slowly sunk to the floor. "He is...?"

"It's disgusting." Rei nodded.

"Well, you'll just have to break 'em up. Sabotage her. Do whatever you have to."

"I'm trying but I'm at a slight disadvantage. I only met the man twelve hours ago. You've got to get back here to help me."

"Rei, I can't. I want more time with Mom," Yuki pleaded.

Yuki found a candy wrapper in one of Rei's coat pockets. She wrinkled it over the receiver making it sound like static.

"Rei, are you still there? I can barely hear you... Rei...."

"I'm here! What are you..?"

"Operator! Operator... Sorry, think I lost you, Rei." She hung up.

Rei knew what was up and held the receiver out from her ear. "Thanks for your help, Yuki."

Yuki creaked open the closet door and crawled out on all fours, only to find her Mother, Kon and Keigo standing in the foyer, all looking down at her.

"Had a phone call. From a friend at camp. It's an old camp tradition. Talk to your best friend from inside a closet... kinda stupid, I know but..." She placed the phone back on the table. "So... Breakfast anyone?

In Division 10 kitchen, Rangiku carried plates of breakfast over to Rei, who was sitting at the table.

"Okay, here we go, most important meal of the day... Eggs sunny side up, bacon, toast and just in case you're really hungry... a stack of humongous chocolate chip pancakes which smell incredible, if I do say so myself." Rangiku placed all of this in front of Rei.

"Thanks, Rangiku-san."

Rangiku waved her hand over the food, sending its aroma toward Rei.

"Not hungry again? You hardly ate your chili, your favorite food, and now you're not eating your breakfast. You're not sick, are you?"

Rangiku put her hand on Rei's forehead, then joined her in eating breakfast.

"I'm fine, I promise. Where's Dad?"

"He and Miss-" Here, she started imitating Sora. "'I'll just have half a grapefruit, thank you', left about an hour ago. You overslept and he didn't want to wake you. Of course, I'd oversleep too if I was up at midnight making mysterious phone calls from my bathroom."

"Oh, that. I was calling a friend from camp. Minako. She lives in New York."

"Oh, I see and you wanted to call Minako at a time that was convenient for her. Because of the time difference."

"Exactly. Because of the time difference."

"Uh-huh. So you waited until it was three in the morning her time. That makes perfect sense."

"Actually, it was seven at night her time. You see she lives in New York but she was on vacation with her family in Bora Bora."

Rei took a bite of bacon and gave Rangiku a smile. Rangiku gave her a stare.

"Very smooth. Your Dad wants you to go over to his office as soon as you're done with breakfast."

"He does? Thanks." She shoved the rest of her bacon in her mouth. "I'm done."

She rose as Sammy entered, who saw Rei and growled as he scooted around her.

"That dog has gotten so weird! Bye, Rangiku, thanks again for breakfast. It was great."

Rangiku looked down at the plate of untouched food. Rei pushed on the screen door but it went nowhere.

"Pull, Yuki."

Rei laughed, then pulled on the door and ran out.

When she got to her father, Toshirou and Rei sat on the couch talking.

"Honey, I'm glad you're here, there's something really important I want to talk to you about." He put his arm around her.

"That's funny because there's something really important I want to talk to you about."

"Okay, you go first."

"No, you."

"Okay, I want to talk to you about Sora."

"And I want to talk to you about my mother. What about Sora?"

"W-W-What about your mother?" They were both flabbergasted.

"Dad, I'm almost fourteen, how long do you expect me to buy that story that The Stork dropped me on your doorstep?"

"C'mon, Yuki, we've talked about your mother..."

"No we haven't. Not really. A girl needs more in life than half of a crumpled old photograph. Dad, I'm almost a teenager, face it, I need a mother."

"You know what? You're right. You do. Which brings me to-"

Just then the office door opened, and in came Sora with another man from the tenth division.

"Sora!" Toshirou exclaimed.

"Hi." She noticed Rei. "Hello, Yuki."

"Hi there," Rei said, stoically.

"Yuki, this is my assistant, Richard. Richard, this is Toshirou's daughter, the one I've been telling you so much about."

"Oh, hello. How are you, luv?" He said in a British accent.

"Oh, don't tell me you're British? How lovely," Rei said in her best British accent.

"How'd you do that?" Toshirou asked his daughter.

"You do an absolutely marvelous British accent," Richard said.

"Yours isn't bad either, old chap." Richard laughed.

"Did you tell her?" Sora whispered to Toshirou.

"Almost," he whispered back.

"Hey, if you're free later, why don't we all have lunch on the terrace?"

"Actually, I promised Yuki we'd hang out together this afternoon."

Rei smiled when she heard this.

"No problem. I've got plenty to do... I'm working on a new label design, Toshi... featuring Y-O-U. You're gonna love it. See you for dinner, darling. Bye, Snowy.

A little while later, Toshirou and Rei galloped on horseback over the crest of a mountain. As they slowed their horses to a walk, Toshirou struck up a little conversation.

"So, you excited about our camping trip?" Toshirou asked.

"What camping trip?"

"'What camping trip?' The one we go on every summer before the autumn."

"Oh, that camping trip. Yeah, sure... I can't wait."

"So, Yuki, what do you think of Sora?"

"As what, Dad? Your subordinate? Your friend? Your ... ?"

"Just what do you think of her... as a person?"

"Well, she's cute, she has nice hair, good teeth, she can spell the word YOU... I don't know. Honestly, Dad, the woman's a complete stranger to me. Why do you want my opinion anyway?" Rei asked.

"Well, I'll tell you why... because believe it or not, honey..."

Rei cut him off just in time. "Race you back to the barracks, Dad!"

Rei jammed her heels into Sprout's flanks and the horse took off like a bat out of hell.

"Yuki, I'm trying to tell you something!" He shook his head. "She can be as stubborn as me sometimes. She is a Daddy's girl, that's for sure."

Back at the barracks, out of breath, Rei ran up the porch steps and threw open the screen door and ran to the office.

Rei stopped to catch her breath. She was a little panicky.

"I'm in so over my head here. I can't handle this alone. I just can't. I'm only one kid."

Rangiku peeked at her from around the corner of the couch she's had been sitting in.

"You got something you'd like to share with the class?" She asked.

"Oh, Rangiku, you gave me a fright!"

"I gave you a fright?"

"You scared me. I didn't know you were like, in here."

Rangiku rose to her feet. "You sure there's nothing you want to talk to me about? Like maybe why Sammy never comes near you anymore or why your appetite's suddenly changed or why all of a sudden you're neat as a pin and using expressions like, 'You gave me a fright.'"

"Rangiku, I changed a lot over the three weeks I was gone, that's all."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say it's almost as if you were..." She shook it off. "Oh, never mind, that's too impossible." She turned to leave.

"Almost as if I were who, Rangiku?"

"Nobody. Nobody. Forget I even mentioned it."

"Almost as if I were... Rei?"

Rangiku stopped, stunned, goose bumps popping up all over.

"You know about Rei?" This was her chance.

"I am Rei."

Just then, Toshirou entered, also a little out of breath.

"Why'd you take off like that? I told you I wanted-to talk to you about something? Matsumoto, why are you looking at her like that?"

"Like what? I'm not looking at her any special way. I'm looking at her just like I've looked at her for thitreen years. Since the day she came home from the hospital, six pounds, eleven ounces, twenty-one inches long." She was crying now. "This is how I look at her. Can I hug her?"

Rangiku, all broken up, hugged Rei like she was hugging her for the first time.

"She's so beautiful and so big."

Rei gave Rangiku a look that said, 'Please don't say anything!' Toshirou gave her the 'You're an idiot' look.

"I'm gonna go make you something special to eat. What would you like? Oh, it doesn't matter. I'll whip up everything we've got."

Rangiku took off as Toshirou approached Rei.

"Why's everybody acting so nutty around here? Yuki, we gotta talk."

"Okay. Shoot."

"Honey, look... I want to know what you think about making Sora part of the family?"

"Part of our family?"

Toshirou nodded. "Yes."

"I think it's an awesome idea. Inspired. Brilliant really."

"You do?" he seemed a bit taken back.

"Totally. It's like a dream come true. I've always wanted a big sister."

"Honey, I'm afraid you're kind of missing the point."

"No, I'm not. You're going to adopt Sora. That is so sweet, Dad."

"I'm not going to adopt her, I'm going to marry her."

Rei leapt up. "Marry her?!? That's insane! How can you marry a woman young enough to be my big sister?!?"

She started ranting and raving, then slipped into French.

"Yuki, calm down." Then he stopped. "Now you speak French?!?"

"I learned it at camp." She took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm sorry. Let's discuss this calmly and rationally..."

"And in English, if you don't mind. Man, what has gotten into you?" Toshirou said.

"Nothing. it's nothing... Just... Just..." She let it all out "Dad, you can't get married! It'll totally ruin completely everything!!!"

Rei stormed out. Toshirou noticed his lieutenant standing in the doorway, biting her nails.

"Don't look at me. I know nothing." His lieutenant left, leaving him alone.

Toshirou looked out the window of his office and saw Sora walking toward the entrance of the Division barracks. Toshirou sank into a chair as he heard Yuki's door slam upstairs.

"Maybe I am too old for this," Toshirou sighed.

Sora swept into the room, wearing sunglasses. "Hi, doll."

She sat on Toshirou's lap and wrapped her arms around him. She kissed him. She kissed him again.

Sora ran her fingers through his hair. "You look stressed, baby. How about a martini?"

"How about a double?" Toshirou mumbled.

Sora snapped open her purse and took out a Tiffany box. She removed a small silver bell, which she held up and rang.

"Rangiku?"

She rang it again. Toshirou gave her a curious look.

"Don't you love it? It's just what we need. It's such a big house." It wasn't a house. It was the Tenth Division barracks, genius.

She rang again. Rangiku appeared, looking obviously not too wild about the bell.

"You rang?" She asked sarcastically.

"Two martinis, please. And make Hitsugaya-taichou's a double."

Rangiku just stood there.

"Please, Matsumoto. I'm getting a migraine…" Toshirou pleaded.

Rangiku left.

Toshirou rubbed his temples. "I told Yuki."

"You did? And?"

"She went ballistic. Started yelling in French, which I didn't even know she spoke. I just don't get her lately…"

"Toshi, this reaction is totally classic. It's 'Daddy's Getting Remarried - 101'. I'd worry if she didn't react this way. Look, why don't I talk to her... woman to woman?"

"She's a little sensitive about you right now," he warned.

But Sora kissed him. "That's why I need to do it. We've got to break the ice sometime."

She opened Toshirou's shihakusho front a little. "Wear your shirt like this… I like when

I can see a little chest hair."

Meanwhile, Rei sat on her sister's deck, feet propped-up on the banister, shuffling a deck of cards. Sora appeared behind her, knocking on the open door.

"Knock-knock." Rei turns. "Can I join you?"

Rei shrugged. "Sure."

"Guess the news of the engagement came as a bit of a shock, huh?"

"Basically."

"You know, I remember what it was like to be thirteen. I had my first beau at thirteen. It's a wonderful age. You're starting to feel like a woman and believe it or not soon, you'll understand what it's like to be in love."

"Me? I don't think so. I don't even have my thirteen year-old molars yet."

"Well, take it from someone who got their molars very early in life…being in love is a fantastic mystery that takes a man and woman on a magical journey to a place…"

"I don't mean to be jerky when you're trying to be all mushy and everything but I think I know what mystery my Dad sees in you."

"You do?"

"You're young and beautiful and sexy and hey, the guy's only human. But if you ask me, marriage is supposed to be based on something more than just sex, right?"

"Boy, your father underestimates you."

"But you won't, will you, Sora?"

They studied each other carefully.

"So what if I'm young and beautiful? That's not a crime, you know. And for your information, I adore your father. He's exactly the kind of man I always planned on marrying. This is the real deal, honey and nothing you do is going to come between as. The reality is, Snowy, you are no longer the only girl in Hitsugaya Toshirou's life. Get over it."

"If this is the real deal, then my Dad's rank has nothing do with you wanting to marry him, right?"

"I hope you're not suggesting I'm marrying your father for his ranking."

"All I know is, I've seen Cinderella a few zillion times and I'd rather not end up scrubbing the floors and befriending all the birds in the neighborhood while you're having breakfast in bed…if you get my drift…"

"You are unbelievably out of line, young lady." She raised her voice. "Now you listen and listen good. I'm marrying your father in two weeks whether you like it or not. So I suggest you do not tangle with me anymore. You're in way over your-head. Is that clear?

"Crystal."

Meanwhile, a fax slithered out out of the Hinamori's fax machine. Keigo's hand reached for the fax. He looked at the fax quizzically, and then carried it into the dining room, where Yuki was eating dinner with her Mother and Kon. Keigo refilled Momo's wine glasse, holding the fax behind his back as he pours.

Momo laughed at a joke that Kon made as Keigo moved next to Yuki, holding the fax behind his back. Yuki cocked her head to read it.

The fax was a drawing of Sammy, the Tenth Division dog, lying on the front porch of the barracks. A cartoon bubble came out of his mouth, saying "911!"

Yuki bended over so far to read the fax that she fell off her chair and onto the floor.

"Honey, are you okay?"

Yuki got up. "Yeah, just fine. You know, Mother, I feel like I could use a bit of fresh air. Would it be okay if I stepped outside for a moment?"

"Of course. Are you okay? Would you like me to come with you?"

"No, no. I'll be fine... Just got a touch woozy, that's all."

Yuki wiped her mouth with her napkin and excused herself. Kon watched her closely as she left.

Yuki hurried down the street, turned a corner, spotted an empty telephone booth, and rushed to it. She pulled the door closed, pulled out her own Soul Phone, which was a light blue color, and dialed the Operator located in Division 12.

"Yes, I'd like to make a collect-call to Soul Society, please. Division 10 barracks. Hitsugaya Yuki, please…"

Meanwhile, Rei paced in Yuki's room, biting her nails for real now. Her own Soul Phone rang, which was a light red color. She pounces on it in mid-ring.

"Hello? Yes, I'll accept the charges. Yuki, thank goodness you got my fax. I'm absolutely desperate."

"What's up? Why the 911?" Yuki asked.

"Dad's getting married."

Yuki laughed. "Whaddya mean, getting married?"

"I mean black tie, white gown, the whole enchilada. The wedding's in two weeks so, if there's any hope of getting Mom and Dad back together, we've got to do it fast."

Outside the Phone Booth, an orange-haired man was reading the evening paper, waiting to use the phone.

"Okay, Mom and I are going to the theatre tonight so I'll drop the bomb on her first thing in the morning."

"Give Mom a kiss for me, will ya? And Kon, too. And Yuki, hurry."

Yuki hung up, put her phone back in her pocket, and stepped out of the booth, bumping into the mad who'd been waiting.

"Oh, excuse me," Yuki said.

The man turns around. It was Kurosaki Ichigo.

"Uh-oh…"

"What do you say you and I take a little stroll in the park, young lady?" Ichigo lead her into the park.

In the morning, Momo sat up in bed, in white satin pajamas, finishing a cup of coffee and a phone call to Paris. She was sketching a wedding gown on a pad as she talked.

Momo spoke in French, "Au, Mademoiselle. I will have the sketch to you by tomorrow. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you. Au revoir."

Yuki appeared in the doorway, listening to her mother talk on the phone. Kon, who was informed by Ichigo, walked by and gave Yuki a little nudge on her ankles, pushing her into the room.

"Hi, sweetie. Come on in."

Momo patted the bed. Yuki crossed and climbed in next to her mother.

Momo put her arm around Yuki. "I have to finish this sketch and Fed Ex it to Paris, then how about you and I go out to lunch and spend the rest of the day getting lost in the mall?"

"I can't. Mom, sorry, I have to go out of town today."

"You have to go out of town?" Momo thought Yuki was joking. "And where may I ask are you going?"

Yuki squirmed under the covers, entirely disappearing.

"Rei?"

"That's where I have to go. I have to go see Rei," Yuki said from under the covers.

Momo was still playing along. "I see. And where would Rei be?"

Yuki's shape squirmed further under the covers. "In Soul Society with her father, Hitsugaya Toshirou."

Momo's eyes widened. She looked up to see Kon's leaning on the mirror, standing on her dresser. He nods. Momo's brown eyes instantly filled with tears. She lifted the covers to see Yuki hiding, scared to death.

"You're not Rei?" Momo asked.

"That would be correct."

"You're Yuki…"

"I am." Yuki crawled out from under the covers. "Rei and I met at camp and we decided to switch places. I'm sorry, but I'd never seen you and I'd dreamt of meeting you my whole life and Rei felt the exact same way about Dad, so we just sorta switched lives. I hope you-re not mad because I love you so much and I just hope one day you can love me as me and not as Rei."

"Oh, honey, I've loved you your whole life." Momo took Yuki in her arms. "Why didn't you tell me it was you all along?"

"I was scared," Yuki said with teary eyes.

Yuki and Momo broke from their hug. Momo wiped her tears.

"I guess you have to switch us back now, huh?"

"Legally, you belong to your father and Rei belongs to me," Momo explained.

"'His' and 'Hers' kids. No offense, Mom, but this arrangement really sucks."

"I agree, it totally sucks. I don't want to lose you now that we've been together."

"Well, then I guess we'll just have to go to Soul Society, see Rei and Dad and work this whole thing out."

"I guess we will."

"Will you be nervous about seeing Dad again?"

"No, of course not. I can handle seeing Hitsugaya Toshirou after all these years. People see their ex's all the time, don't they? Not to worry, sweetheart. I'll take care of everything. Not to worry. It's my position that I'm worried about. Will they let me be the fifth lieutenant again?" Momo gave her daughter a reassuring smile. She wasn't at all worried about her rankng.

~6~6~6~6~

A/N: Hope you liked it! Review, please!


	7. Chapter 7

At The Four Seasons in San Francisco, the hotel clock struck twelve noon. Sora walked across the lobby with her parents, a stunning couple with their appearance in their early fifties, all wearing gigais.

Sora checked her watch. "Okay, they'll be here any minute. Be nice, Daddy. He's everything you ever wanted for your little girl…plus millions more."

"Then you know I'll be nice," Mr. Tomoe responded.

Sora laughed. Then she saw him. "Okay, there he is…" Her face dropped. "…with the whole motley crew."

Toushirou, Rei, Rangiku and Sammy entered the Lobby. Sora rushed to greet them, kissing Toushirou.

"Hi, darling…Yuki, Rangiku…and Sammy, what in the world are you doing here?" She turned to Toushirou. "Honey, a dog in The Four Seasons?"

"Yuki begged me to bring him."

"And naturally you said 'yes'." Sora reached out to Sammy, but Sammy snapped at Sora.

Rangiku patted Sammy. "Good doggy." Then she turned to Sora. "Sora, these the folks..?"

"Yes! Mom... Dad... finally, you all meet." She linked arms with the tenth division captain. "This is my fiance and the love of my life, Hitsugaya Toushirou and this is his adorable daughter Yuki who we can all thank for bringing us together this weekend... This entire get together was her idea I'll have you know…"

"Well, how are you young lady? I've heard nothing but wonderful things about you."

Toushirou beamed.

At the same time, a taxi pulled up and Keigo and Yuki stepped out. Keigo then reached in the backseat and helped Momo out. She was wearing dark sunglasses and was more than a little tipsy.

She took a small airplane-size sake bottle from her purse and polished it off, before tossing it over her shoulder. Keigo caught it before it crashed to the ground. Yuki and Keigo guided Momo up the steps to the hotel.

"That was a great flight, wasn't it? So quick," Momo said.

"I never saw you so... thirsty, before, ma'am," Keigo said.

"You mean you never saw me drink so much sake before! Guess what? I've got news for you, Keigie old chap…never tasted the stuff before. Not once."

"Could've fooled me, ma'am."

"Hello, Doorman. Oh, you scared me, I thought you were real for a minute," Momo said to the Doorman.

"I'm in such major trouble here," Yuki groaned in frustration.

Keigo and Yuki led Momo through the Lobby and deposited her at the Front Desk. Miraculously, Toushirou and Sora were nowhere in sight. Momo rang the bell a zillion times. Yuki stopped her by placing her hand over the bell.

"Mom, you gonna be okay?" Yuki asked her mother.

"Absolutely. Never felt better in my life. But darling, tell me 'cause I'm a bit confused… Have we landed yet?"

With that comment, Yuki laid her head down on the counter.

Meanwhile, Sora, her folks, Toushirou, Rangiku, Rei, and Sammy exited the Dining Room.

"I'm just saying, I know it's short notice,, but if they can do it, I think it would be a brilliant room for the wedding... Not too big, not too cramped... Not that I don't like the idea of getting married at the house... I do but this could be... amazing..." Sora was saying.

Meanwhile, Yuki led Momo away from the Front Desk and toward a bank of elevators. Momo tried to hitch a ride on a passing luggage cart. Keigo peeled her off.

On the other side of the Lobby, Sammy sniffed like a Hound Dog on the hunt, pulling Rei away from Toushirou, Sora, and Sora's folks. Rei held onto Sammy's leash while at the same time, holding Rangiku's hand. The two were dragged across the lobby as they others stay behind.

"I've already checked us in, so why don't we go up to the rooms, freshen up, then meet for lunch?" Sora said.

"Sounds good, I'm starved. Meet you back here in ten," Sora's father said.

Sora kissed her Dad on the cheek. "Perf." Then, she leaned on Toushirou. "Sweetheart, want to check out the Honeymoon Suite while we're here? I bet it's to die for."

At the same time, Momo, Yuki, and Keigo stepped into an open elevator. As the doors were about to close, Momo said, "Oh, jeez..."

She stuck out her hand and the doors popped back open.

"Forgot my purse."

She rushed out of the elevator and crossed back toward the Front Desk just as Sammy sniffed his way toward the open elevator. Sammy looked up to see his favorite girl!

"Sammy!" Yuki called from the elevator.

Yuki and Rei locked eyes as Sammy bolted from Rei and lept onto the elevator, and put his paws up on Yuki, licking her face.

At the front desk, Momo grabbed her purse and heaed back to the elevator where she joined Rei, putting an arm around her.

"Mom!" Rei said.

Rangiku's eyes widened. She did an immediate about-face so as not-to be seen.

"Honey, you didn't have to wait for me, I could've found the room by myself. Besides ..." She whispered. "I've got to make a pit stop. Sake makes you have to go like crazy... Go on, thweetie, I'll meet you upstairs ..." Rangiku snuck a peek at her. "I mean, upthstair... uppth... upppthst... I'll meet thyou up... thstairs!" She turned to walk away, but then she turned around. "I like that jacket by the way. Were you wearing that the whole time on the plane?

Momo turned back and just misses colliding with a Bellhop carrying a huge bouquet of flowers. Rei slapped her forehead.

"She's drunk. She's never had more than one glass of wine in her entire life and she chooses today to show up zonked," Rei said to Rangiku.

Rangiku simply lead her to an elevator. "Just do what the woman says and meet her upthstairs."

Rangiku and Rei got into a waiting elevator. It's closed and they were gone.

About a minute later, Toushirou and Sora strolled up to the same elevators. Sora nibbled on Toushirou's ear as an elevator arrived. They stepped inside the elevator.

"Alone at last," Sora said.

Sora folded her arms around Toushirou's neck. At that very moment, Toushirou spotted Momo, standing directly in front of him.

Toushirou blinked, unable to believe his eyes. Momo smiled and gave him a little wave. Toushirou's eyes widened as Sora, with her back to Momo, continued to kiss Toushirou. As the elevator doors started to close, Toushirou leaned further and further to his right, trying to keep his eyes on Momo. He leaned, he leaned…but the doors closed. He stood there stunned, eyes wide open.

Moments later, Momo barreled down the Hallway, focused and furious.

"Hitsugaya Yuki!" She bellowed.

Simultaneously, two doors opened across the hall from each other. Yuki, now in with white hair and silver eye contacts, stood in one doorway, and Rei, still in blue, in the other.

"Don't do this to me. I'm already seeing double! Which one of you is Yuki?"

Yuki raised her hand.

"Okay, now..." She softened at the sight of Rei. "Oh, honey ... hi..."

"Hi, Mom," Rei said.

Momo crossed to Rei and hugged her.

"You look beautiful. So tan and healthy..." Momo kissed Rei, then she remembered. "Okay you two… How could you do this to me?"

Rangiku arrived behind Rei. "May I suggest we take this little pow-wow inside? Hi, you probably don't remember me..."

"Rangiku!" Momo said warmly.

"I knew I always liked you, Hinamori."

In the hotel suite, the two girls sat side by side. Rei now had white hair and silver eyes.

"Let me put this as sucthinkinctly as possible. You…" She pointed to Yuki. "I mean…"She pointed to Rei." One of you told me your father knew I was arriving here today... And I'm here to tell you the man I just saw in the elevator had absolutely no idea he and I were on the same planet, let alone in the same hotel."

"You saw Dad already?" Rei asked.

"Yeth. And it was completely and utterly humiliating. I gotta lie down..." She flopped down on sofa, resting her head on a pillow. "The man went completely ashen. Like I was the bloody ghost of Christmas past." She rubbed her head. "Can one of you get me something cold for my head?"

The two girls crossed to the bar.

"Don't you think I've pondered what it was going to be like to see your father again after all these years?"

The girls exchanged a look.

"Well, let me tell you, me waving like a mindless idiot while Hitsugaya Toushirou is wrapped in another woman's arms is not exactly the scenario I had in mind. No sireee..."

The girls arrived with a wet washcloth and a glass of water.

"Thank you." She placed the wash cloth on her forehead and shut her eyes. "And furthermore and much worse, is the fact that I've been lied to by my own children and I'd like to know why."

On that note, Keigo passed through the room wearing only a speedo bathing suit. Momo cracked open an eye, and sat up.

"Keigo! What are you doing?"

"Going for a swim. Do you mind?"

"No, no, that's perfectly perfect. By all means, yes, have fun... someone ought to. Just put on a shirt... my God..."

She lay down again as Rangiku entered from an adjoining room with Sammy. She stopped when she saw Keigo.

"Oh... Hello."

"Hello, Hello..."

There seemed to be something in the air between them.

"Oh, Rangiku, this is our butler, Keigo Asano."

Rangiku, plainly interested, extended her hand. "How do you do?" She nodded her head towards Yuki. "I'm her butler."

Keigo gallantly kissed her hand. "Enchante, mademoiselle."

"Gee, the pleasure's all mine, monsieur."

The girls couldn't believe it and suppressed their giggles.

"Girls! You were going to tell me why you lied and brought me here without telling your father!" Momo's wrath was back.

"Were they? Okay, that's good." Rangiku started tiptoeing out. "Well, then why don't I just slip back into my room and check out the ol' mini bar..."

Keigo was also trying to escape. "Allow me to assist you..."

On that, Momo sat straight up. "Wait! You mean everyone knows but me? What's going on here?"

Everyone froze.

"Mom... Daddy's getting married," Rei said.

"Oh. I see... getting married..."

"To Cruella de Ville. She's awful, Mom...We can't let him go through with it," Rei said.

"Girls, your father's a grown man and quite capable of deciding whom he wishes to marry."

"But she's all wrong for him. And the only way he won't marry her is..." She turned to Rei. "You tell her. She knows you better."

"Is if he sees you again," Rei finished.

Momo was piecing it all together. "You're trying to fix me up with your father."

"Why not? You're perfect for each other," Yuki said.

"A match made in heaven," Rei said.

By now, Rangiku and Keigo have reached the door.

"Hold it! You two knew about this?"

Keigo and Renagiku turned and jabbed at the same time. "No. Not exactly. We tried to reason with them. What could we do? They made us do it. We're the hired help. Don't fire us. It was a mistake."

Momo rose unsteadily. "Okay, let me say this loud and clear. Hitsugaya Toushirou and I have nothing in common... anymore. Plus, in case you haven't noticed, he seems extremely content with his leggy, long haired, tight-skirted fiance. I want the two of you to explain to your father that I am here for one purpose only and that's to switch you two back. Now, let's do what we have to do and be done with it. Understood?"

Everyone nodded.


	8. Chapter 8

Sora and Toushirou meanwhile were in the suite next door.

"No. I don't understand," Sora was saying.

Toushirou nervously ran his fingers through his hair and straightened his clothes as he tried to get out the door.

"I just need to go downstairs for a few minutes to c-c-clear my head... then I'll meet you for lunch."

"Clear your head? What do you have to clear your head about? Is something wrong?"

"I hope not. I mean... no. What could be wrong? We're getting married in ten days, everything's perfect. I gotta go."

He quickly kissed her on the cheek, and opened the door.

"We're still going ring shopping after lunch, right?"

"Ring shopping?"

"Toushi!" Sora scolded.

"Of course! For the funeral. I mean, for the wedding." Toushirou was getting toungue-tied already.

"The funeral?"

"I'm kidding." He laughed. "Don't listen to me. I'll see you there. I mean, here. Downstairs."

He slipped out the door, hurried down the corridor and bumped right into Rei, still with white hair and silver eyes.

"Hey, Dad, what's up?"

"Just running down to the lobby. Hey, Hal, do me a favor, keep Sora company, willya? Thanks, kiddo. Do I look alright? Like presentable and everything? Not too old?"

"You look fab, Dad. Young and fabulous."

"Nice hair and eye style, by the way, I like it."

A little while later, Toushirou rushed off the elevator and looked around for Momo. He turned a corner and bumped into the real Yuki, who hadn't seen her dad for at least four weeks.

"Dad!" Yuki said, whose hair was still in the same style as Rei.

"I thought you were going to keep Sora company?"

"I was? 'I mean, I am. Yeah. I was actually just looking for her." She paused."It's great to see you, Dad." She couldn't help herself and gave her Dad a quick hug.

"It's great to see you too, snowflake. Now go on, get up there."

Toushirou headed off in one direction as Yuki headed back to the elevators. An elevator pinged and Sora stepped out, checking herself in a compact. She snapped the lid shut when she saw Yuki, who had never laid eyes on Sora. Sora was impressed by Yuki's new style.

"Have you seen your father?"

"You talkin' to me?"

"What are you, Robert DeNiro? Yes, I'm talking to you."

That was when Yuki realizes it was Sora. "Oh! Sora... Uh, yeah, I just saw him..."

"Well, hello? Where was he?"

"Oh, he went; that way, I think." Yuki started studying her.

"What are you staring at?"

"Oh, nothing. You really are pretty... -that's all."

"Don't tell me you're going to break your rotten streak and suddenly be nice to me? If you see your father, tell him I'm waiting."

"Whatever you say, Cruella."

Meanwhile, Toushirou ducked his head into the Hotel Gift Shop, looking for Momo. Instead, he saw Rei buying a candy bar. He did a double-take.

"What are you doing? I thought you were gonna..."

"She wasn't in her room, Dad.," Rei said, without looking up.

"She wasn't? Oh... okay... See you in a little bit, kiddo."

"If not sooner, Dad."

Toushirou walked along the corridor, and looked through a bank of windows and thought he saw Momo walking through the hotel's garden. He tried to get a closer look but got caught in the midst of a group of Japanese tourists. Momo noticed him and gave a little wave.

Toushirou finally weaved through the Tourists but when he got to the patio, Momo was gone. Discouraged, he pauses, then saw Yuki sitting in a large wicker chair, under a palm tree,, sipping a fruit cocktail. He jumped, surprised.

"Lookin, for somebody, Dad?" Yuki asked.

Meanwhile at the hotel's bar, Sora entered and took a seat at the nearly empty bar. Only one other customer sat at the bar, Momo. Sora sat one stool away from her. The Bartender delivered a red concoction to Momo, who held a glass of ice to her head.

"Here you go. This'll cure anything you got. Just don't ask what's in it."

Momo hesitates before picking up the glass. "Okay... Here's to…" She turned to Sora, not recognizing her. "Here's to you. May your life be far less complicated than mine."

"Thank you..." Sora said.

Momo tossed down the drink and winced at the taste.

"Martini, dry and a pack of Parliaments," Sora ordered.

Momo belches. "Excuse me..."She turned to Sora. "I apologize. Really, I'm so… (belches again) …sorry. I think I just drank tar."

The Bartender handed Sora her drink and Momo her bill. Momo signs her check and Sora snuck a peak at her signature, practically choking on her Martini.

"You're Hinamori Momo?"

"Guilty."

"I can't believe it. You're the designer, Hinamori Momo?"

"Still guilty."

"I faxed your office just yesterday. I saw a wedding dress you designed and fell completely in love with it. Your office said you were out of town and they didn't know if you could make another one. I can't believe it. This is fate." Sora moved to the seat next to Momo. "I'm Sora Tomoe."

Momos shook her hand. "How do you do?"

Meanwhile, at the pool, Toushirou stepped into the sunlight, still searching for Momo. He saw a woman resembling Momo sitting under a large straw hat. He crossed to her, took a quick peek, realized it's not her and smiled an apology to the lady and her bodybuilder husband. He backed into an umbrella as Sora's parents joined him.

"There you are! We've been looking all over for you!"

"Nicholas, I think this hotel is perfect for the wedding... The more I see of it, the more I like it," Mrs. Tomoe said.

Toushirou was still looking around. "Me too. Absolutely."

Toushirou glanced across the pool and spotted Momo arriving, talking on a cell phone. She waved shyly at Toushirou, slipping on sunglasses."

"Tell me, dear, how many guests will there be from your side of the family? Just a guesstimate?"

"I'm not sure at the moment... Can I get back to you on that one?" Toushirou rushed off.

A small contingent passed in front of Momo, blocking her from Toushirou's view. Not wanting to lose her, Toushirou darted around a Towel Boy, side-steped a couple of toddlers, then tripped over a rubber duck.

Rangiku looked up from her lounge chair next to Keigo's. "Taichou, you okay?"

Toushirou glanced over at his lieutenant, got tangled up in Sammy's leash, and almost crashed right into Rei.

"Dad! Watch out!" Rei shouted.

Too late! Rei and Sammy jumped out of the way as Toushirou splashed head first into the deep end of the-pool.

Momo turned and saw Toushirou pulling himself out of the pool and coming toward her, soaking wet, cheek bleeding, and not looking terribly happy.

"Toushirou, hello... Long time no see..." She started backing up. "Please try not to go crazy..."

"A little too late for that advice. What is going on? I haven't seen or heard from you in thirteen years and suddenly you're popping up everywhere I look and naturally on the day I'm–"

Rei appeared at her mother's side.

"Dad, I can explain why she's here."

"Yuki, you know who this is?"

"Actually, yes. And I'm not Yuki."

Yuki appeared on Momo's other side.

"Actually, I am."

Toushirou looked from Rei to Yuki, back to Rei, then to Momo. She nodded. He was speechless.

"Both of them? Rei... Yuki..."

"I guess you and Mom sort of think alike, because you both sent us to the same camp. We met and the whole thing kind of just spilled out," Rei said.

"They decided to switch places on us, Shirou-chan," Momo said.

"Wait a minute. You mean I've had Rei all this time?"

Rei nodded. "I wanted to know what you were like and Yuki wanted to know Mom. Are you angry?"

It took a moment to sink in. Then Toushirou took Rei in his arms.

"Honey, of course not. It's just... I can't believe it's you. The last time I saw you... you had diaper rash. Look at you..."

"Well, I'm quite grown up now and quite without a father."

"And I'm headed into my crazy mixed-up teenage years and I'll be the only girl I know without a mother to fight with."

Toushirou was still trying to piece this all together. "Hal, you've been in Karakura Town all this time?"

Yuki nodded.

"Come here."

He pulled her to him.

"Mom's amazing, Dad... I don't know how you ever let her go."

"Girls, why don't you let your father and I talk for a couple of minutes, okay?"

The girls take off. Toushirou grabbed a towel and dried his hair.

"Oh, man, I can't believe this. Seeing them together... and you... and... How are you, Hinamori, or does everyone call you Momo now?"

"No, no, Hinamori's fine. Kon calls me Hina-chan. I've been terrific. How 'bout you?"

Well, I've had better days." He touched his cheek. "Ouch!"

"Let me help you with that?" She turned to a passing Towel Boy. "Excuse me, do you have a First-Aid kit?"

"Sure."

"Okay, lie down..."

Toushirou lay on a chaise as the Towel Boy returned with a First Aid Kit. Momo sat beside Toushirou, tending to his cut.

"I can't believe it. You haven't changed at all..."

"You thought maybe I'd be fat and grey?"

"Well, not grey..." His voice trailed off.

"Finally! There you are!" Sora said.

Toushirou and Momo turned, looking close enough to be kissing. Sora is taken aback.

Sora was thrown by seeing them together. "Oh. You've met Momo. Good. Honey, Momo's going to make my... wedding gown... But, I don't understand... How did you two meet and why are you so wet?"

"I wasn't paying attention and I..." He paused and turned to Momo. "You're making My fiance's wedding gown?"

Shirou-chan, I didn't know she was your fiance..."

Toushirou was confused. "How did we meet? How did you two meet?"

"Am I missing something here?" Sora asked.

"Sweetheart, you know what? This is one small world..."

"How small?"

Just then, Rei arrived.

"Oh, hi, Sora."

"Hello."

Yuki joined Rei on Sora's other side. "How ya doin'?"

Sora screamed at seeing double.

"Honey, did I ever mention Yuki was a twin?"

"No, as a matter of fact, you didn't. Two of them? How fabulous."

"Don't feel bad, Sora, he never mentioned it to me, either. Imagine my surprise. By the way, I'm the real Yuki. This is Rei. She was just pretending to be me while I was in Karakura Town pretending to be her. And this is our mother, Hinamori Momo. By the way Dad, I want to change my name to HitsuHina Yuki," Yuki said.

"This is your mother?"

"Yes," Rei and Yuki said simultaneously.

"You were married to Toushirou?"

"Guilty again."

"Well, this is a small world," Sora said.

"And getting smaller," Toushirou said.

"And what a coincidence that we're all here on the same exact weekend…" Sora said.

It's not exactly a coincidence. The children arranged it so their father and I could work out their custody situation," Momo said.

The two girls smiled.

"The children arranged it? Oh. How sweet…" Imagine how she felt.


	9. Chapter 9

That afternoon, Sora and Toushirou were going ring shopping. Sora was ranting on and on, while Toushirou was only half-listening.

"I'm sorry. I just don't see why you have to have dinner with your ex-wife. Why couldn't you just meet her in the lobby, discuss the custody, shake hands, and say good-bye? I'll tell you why – because your daughters don't want me to marry you."

"That's not true," he immediately said.

Sora turned to the Saleswoman. "Can we have some help over here, please?" She turned back to her fiancé. "It's totally true. They see me as the evil step-mother. Trust me, I'm not being paranoid. Those girls have something up their sleeve…" Sora said cautiously. She turned back to the Saleswoman. "Can I try on the emerald cut please? No, the bigger one…The biggest one."

"Honey, calm down. The girls have never had a meal with both their parents in their entire lives. How could I say no?" Toushirou protested.

Sora slipped on the ring. "I told you to let me represent you on all your negotiations, didn't I?" Shw showed him the ring. "This is incredible. What do you think?"

"I think I have to get dressed for dinner," Toushirou said, wanting to get out of there now.

Sora whined. "Toushi..."

Toushirou sighed. "If you love it, I love it."

Sora threw her arms around him and embraced him. "I love it."

That night, Toushirou and Yuki exited the hotel. A limo waited by the curb.

Toushioru was in a navy blue tuxedo with an ice blue tie. Yuki was in a knee-length, spaghetti-strap dress in a color that matched her father's tie.

"Yuki, I've had enough surprises for one day... just tell me where we're going..." Toushirou was saying.

"You're gonna love it, Dad, trust me."

Just then, Momo and Rei stepped out of the hotel. Momo was wearing a red dress that went down a little past her knees. Rei was in a dress like Yuki's, but it was a dark red. Rei's hair was down and in a red bow (like Mina's from SM). Toushirou tried not to admire Momo too openly.

"Hey... Hi…" he stuttered.

"Hi. So do you know where they're taking us?" Momo asked him, a little shy.

"She won't crack," Toushirou whispered.

As they crossed to the Limo parked on the side of the street, Rei handed them eye shades. "Okay, now put these on. You can take them off when we reach our destination."

"We're going in a limo?" Toushirou asked.

"You want one of us to drive?" Yuki asked her father. "Please, indulge us."

A little while later, the Limo pulled to a stop. The girls hurried out.

"Okay, you can take them off," Rei said.

Toushirou and Momo exited, taking off their blindfolds. Their eyes widened as they looked ahead and saw an exquisite 150 foot yacht all lit up and bobbing gently in the sparkling Bay.

"She's ours for the night," said Yuki.

"And exactly how are we paying for her?" Toushirou asked.

"Yuki and I pooled our allowances," Rei put in.

Toushirou and Momo looked at her doubtfully.

"Okay, Urahara-san pitched in a bit." They continued to look at her. "Okay, he pitched in a lot," Rei continued.

Toushirou and Momo exchanged a quizzical look, as they followed the Girls down the steps to the deck, where a Uniformed Captain welcomes them aboard.

"Okay folks, right this way..." Yuki said, as she and Rei opened a pair of double doors. "Ta da"

And in front of them, they saw a romantic dining room where a candle-lit table is set for two. The windows revealed the San Francisco Bay, lit by the yacht's twinkling lights.

"The table's only set for two," Toushirou put in.

"That's the other part of the surprise. We're not joining you," Rei said.

"You're not?" Momo asked.

The girls smiled and shook their heads as Rangiku enetered, dressed as a Ship's Steward, in tropical white.

"No, but I am. Good evening, I'm Rangiku, I'll be your server tonight. No wisecracks please."

At that moment, out stepped Keigo, also dressed in ship's whites and carrying a bottle of champagne.

"And I'm Keigo, your Sommelier. May I offer you both a taste of the bubbly in hopes that you'll get a little snickered and won't can this lovely lady and myself for following the orders of two thirteen year-olds..."

"Rei, mood music, if you please," Rangiku said.

Rei pushed a few buttons and the lights dimmed. Moonlight spilled into the room as they heard Sade's Smooth Operator play over the cabin's speakers.

"Relax... Sail through time..." Rei said, acting like a hypnotist.

"Back to yesteryear..." Yuki continued in the same way.

The girls disappeared behind double doors, leaving Toushirou and Momo looking thoroughly confused.

"So, that's what this is all about?" Momo asked.

Toushirou noticed a life raft with a homemade sign that says HitsuHina hanging on the wall.

"They're recreating the night we met ...The boat... the music..." Toushirou said.

Rangiku pointed to herself. "The help."

Momo went a little misty-eyed. "It's incredibly sweet."

"Asano, I think I'll have that drink," Toushirou said.

Keigo poured them both champagne, then he and Rangiku slipped away.

A soft wind blew Momo's hair.

Toushirou lifted his glass. "Well then, here's to..."

Momo finished his sentence. "Our daughters."

_That's not exactly what I was thinking, but okay,_ Toushirou thought. "To our daughters."

Yuki and Rei snuck a peek through a porthole, thrilled to see their Parents toasting.

"You know, I always see you in Yuki. I always have. Something about her eyes ..."

"That's funny. I always see you in Rei. Something about her smile."

An awkward moment, they each sipped their champagne. As they glanced over at the porthole, the girls dropped out of sight.

"Now I know how a goldfish feels. They turned out pretty good though, huh?"

"We've been lucky," Momo said.

"Sometimes, if we're ever really alone maybe we could talk about... what happened between us. It all feels a bit hazy to me now... It ended so fast," Toushirou admitted.

"It started so fast," Momo corrected.

"Now that part I remember perfectly."

Rangiku and Keigo watched through another porthole.

"Looks like things are heating up nicely. I'd say it's safe to serve the vichyssoise," Keigo said.

"You ladle, I'll serve."

They started back toward the galley. It's tight, they try to pass one another and get momentarily stuck, their eyes locked, and then they squeezed past each other.

"Yes, I'll ladle," Keigo said, pulling his act together.

"Right. And I'll..."

"Serve," Keigo finished.

"Right."

Back at the dining room. "So, you've done incredibly well. Your dream of growing your own garden... it actually came true."

"Hey, how about you, always drawing on napkins and corners of newspapers? Now you're this major designer... pretty impressive."

"Yeah, it's amazing. We both actually got where we wanted to go..."

"Yep. We did."

Rangiku entered carrying two bowls of soup and placed them in front of Momo and Toushirou.

"So, what do we do about the girls?" Toushirou asked, getting down to business.

"Well, I guess now that they've met, we can't very well keep them apart. I could keep them half the year and you could – "

"Guys, they can't go to two schools every year," Rangiku put in. "Yuki goes to Karakura High, and Yuki has duties to perform in the tenth division."

"I agree," Toushirou said. "She is my third seat."

"Okay, I could keep them for a whole year, then you could – "

"Hinamori, this is why we..." Toushirou looked, more like glared, at his Vice-Captain.

"Sorry, Taichou. Ignore me. I'm gone." She backed out of the room.

"This is why we came up with the solution we have," he continued.

"Really? I thought it was because we decided never to see each other again."

"Not we, Hina..."

You know that part's become a bit hazy for me too over the years."

"You don't remember the day you packed?"

"No, that day I remember perfectly. Did I hurt you when I threw that suitcase? I've often wondered."

Toushirou rubbed his shoulder. "Let's put it this way, my arm was never the same again." He started on his soup. He stopped "So how come you never got married again? I always figured by now you'd be re-married with a new family..."

" Me? No... no, no... no..."

"That's a lot of no's," Toushirou said.

"That's because I realized a long time ago marriage wasn't for me.."

A beat of silence rang through the cabin. Toushirou started to eat again, but then stopped.

"You know I may be alone with you again, so... About the day you packed... Why did you do it?"

"Toushirou, we were getting along so badly, we found out we each had tempers, we said foolish things... So I packed... went through the Senkai Gate for the first time and...you didn't come after me."

Dead silence.

"I didn't know I was supposed to…" Toushirou whispered.

"Well, it really doesn't matter now... Let's put on a good face for the kids, shall we, and get this show on the road..."

"Okay. Yeah. You're right. Let's get the show on the road," Toushirou said hestitantly.

Momo started her soup. Toushirou joined her, not a word passing between them.

Rei and Yuki were watching and listening the entire time.


	10. Chapter 10

Back at the Four Seasons, Momo signed her bill, turned to Keigo, who tipped the Bellman, and said, "All set then. Where's Rei?"

"I just called, she's on her way down.," Keigo said.

Toushirou and Rangiku joined them. Everyone's spirits were low.

"Okay, so I'll, uh... send Yuki back to you over Christmas," Toushirou said.

"And I'll see that Rei spends Easter with you," Momo said.

The elevator opened and Yuki and Rei stepped off. Both were dressed in identical t-shirts and jeans. Both had white hair and silver contacts. It was impossible to tell them apart.

Toushirou pointed to Rei. "This one's Yuki, I'm positive."

The real Yuki grinned and said, "I hope you're right, Dad. You wouldn't want to send the wrong kid all the way back to Karakura Town."

Toushirou looked to Momo. He couldn't be sure.

"Here's our proposition. We go back to Division 10, pack our stuff, and the four of us leave on the camping trip," Rei said.

"The four of us!" Momo exclaimed.

"And when you bring us back, we'll tell you who's Yuki and who's Rei," Rei said.

"Or...You do as we say and I take one of you back with me to Soul Society whether you like or not," Toushirou said.

The four went back to the Soul Society. Four sleeping bags were tossed into the trunk of Toushirou's Suburban (Yes they have cars in Soul Society now! Well, just for the sake of this story). Toushirou threw in the final bag as Sora watched, wearing her short and tight shihakusho and sunglasses.

"What am I supposed to do for three days? Sit home and knit?" Sora asked her soon to-be-fiance.

Momo exited the barracks looking very Out of Africa, carrying a backpack.

"Excuse me, what is she doing here?" Sora asked, jealousy seeping into her voice.

"That was the deal - the four of us go together," Toushirou said.

"What are you suddenly, the Brady Bunch? This is ridic-" Sora was cut off.

"Hi, Sora. Everything okay?" Momo asked.

"Well, no, as a matter of fact, it isn't. I didn't realize you were going on this little outing and to tell you the truth, I'm not so sure I am okay with it." In reality, she was definitely NOT okay with this.

"I agree. The ex-wife in the next sleeping bag is a little weird..." Momo said.

"Thank you."

"I insist you come with us, really," Momo said.

Sora stopped cold.

"Hina ..." Toushirou started to say.

"Toushirou, I messed-up up your entire weekend, it's the least I can do to pay you back."

A few minutes later, Rei and Yuki exited with Rangiku. As the kids climbed into the car, they noticed Momo and Sora come out of the house. Sora was now dressed in tight black work-out gear.

"Dad, what's Sora doing here?" Yuki asked.

Toushirou got behind the wheel. "Your mother invited her. Be nice."

The girls looked at each other, then to Rangiku, as Sora smiled and climbed into the front seat.

Momo closed the door. "Okay. Have fun everybody."

"Hinamori, what are you doing?" Toushirou asked.

"I really think you and Sora need time alone before the big day."

"Mom! Come on, that's not the plan," Rei protested.

"Honestly, you'll have much more fun without me."

"Look, if you're not going... I don't have to go... Trust me, I'm not exactly a big nature girl," Sora said.

"But this'll be your chance to really get to know the girls. Starting next week, they're half yours," Momo said with a twinkle in her eye.

Toushirou caught Momo's eye. She blew him a kiss.

"Have fun yall'!"

As the car pulled off, Rangiku turned to Momo.

"I would pay to see that woman climb a mountain."

At the mountains, Yuki and Rei were climbing a steep hill, wearing backpacks and baseball caps. They were followed by Sora, puffing and perspiring, dabbing sunscreen on her nose as she tried to keep her balance. Toushirou brought up the rear. Sora plopped down on a rock, trying to catch her breath.

"I'm gonna kill my trainer... He says I'm in such great shape..." Sora said rubbing her legs. "I can't believe people actually do this for fun."

"Girls, hold on, we're stopping!" Toushirou called.

"Again? Dad, at this rate, it'll take three days just to get up the mountain," Yuki protested.

"Sora isn't used to the altitude... Just chill, okay?"

Behind Toushirou and Sora, Rei slipped large rocks into Sora's Prada Backpack.

"Somebody hand me my Evian... I can't move," Sora said.

Rei spotted a small lizard. She grabbed it and placed it on top of Sora's water bottle.

"Here you go, Sora."

Sora took the bottle, lifts it to her mouth and found herself eye-to-eye with the lizard. She screamed, tossing the Evian bottle in the air, losing her balance and slipping off the rock.

"Honey, you okay?" Toushrirou asked.

Rei caught the lizard. "This little guy was on her Evian bottle, I guess. He won't hurt you, Sora."

Sora screamed again. "Get it away from me! I hate things that crawl. It's disgusting... It's a lizard, it should be a belt. Ugh, how can you touch it? Put it down!"

"Okay." Rei pouted.

Rei walked behind Sora and gently deposited the Lizard right on top of Sora's head.

"Why don't I take the lead, you two help Sora," Toushirou said.

Toushirou moved off. Sora rose, still not knowing the Lizard sat on top of her head.

"Sure, you're going to help me... right over a cliff, you'll help me."

"Not a bad idea. See any cliffs?" Yuki whispered to Rei.

Sora groaned as she lifted her much heavier backpack.

"Need a hand?" Rei asked.

"Not from you, thank you. Don't think I can't see right past those angelic faces. One more trick from you two and I promise I'll make your lives miserable from the day I say 'I do'. Got it?"

"Got it, Cruella," Yuki inwardly smirked.

Sora slowly turned around. "What'd you call me?"

"Nothing. Not a thing..." She lowered her voice. "Cruella." She turned back around and added, "Oh, Sora... I think there's something on your head..."

The girls walked ahead. Sora reached up and felt her hair, then her hand landed on the lizard. She let out a blood-curdling scream and the Lizard panicked and ran down her face and right into her mouth. Sora's eyes buldged. She spat the lizard out, gagging and coughing. Toushirou and the girls ran back.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Toushirou asked.

Bright red and in shock, Sora stomped her feet and pointed to Rei and Yuki. Smoke was pouring out of her ears.

"What did we do, Dad? We were with you," Rei said.

A little while later, Sora walked by herself, banging the buttons on her cell phone.

"Please work... Hello? Hello?"

Sora stopped when she saw Rei and Yuki bent over examining something on the ground. Sora snuck up behind them and overheard their conversation.

"I didn't know they had mountain lions up here," Rei whispered.

"Oh yeah, the place is crawling with them," Yuki said, winking at Rei. "Hisagi-san once showed me how to keep them away." She picked up two sticks and hit them together. "Just do this and they'll never come near you."

The Girls picked up sticks and moved off down the trail, clacking the sticks together. Sora stooped, picked up two sticks, clacked them together and followed.

That night, at the campfire, Toushirou, the girls, and Sora sat around the campfire. Everyone ate trout, except Sora, who sat on a rock, wrapped in a blanket, swatting at mosquitoes and rubbing lotion on her arm.

"You sure you don't want some trout, Mom? Is that okay, by the way? If we start calling you Mom?" Rei asked.

"I think your mother would prefer if you called me Sora and no thank you, I do not eat trout... for the thousandth time. I'll wait until breakfast. What are we having?" Sora asked.

"Trout," Toushirou and Yuki said at the same time. This was Rei's and Sora's first time. The two had done this before.

"We always live off the trail up here. It's part of the experience," Toushirou said.

Sora swat away at some bugs. "What's the other part, being eaten to death by mosquitos?" She looked at the lotion bottle. "You'd think they actually liked this stuff."

"What is that you're using?" Toushirou looked at the bottle, and then put some on his hand. "You're going to attract every mosquito on the mountain. This is sugar and water. Where'd you get this stuff?"

Sora looks to the girls, who busied themselves eating.

"That's it. I'm taking a large sleeping pill and going to bed." Sora was fed up.

She picked up her two sticks and whacked them together as she moved off toward her tent.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing?" Toushirou called.

"I don't want the mountain lions to..." Sora paused, realizing that she's been had. "There are no mountain lions up here, are there?"

Captain Hitsugaya Toushirou shook his spiky white head. Sora glared at the girls, dropped her sticks in the fire, walked to Toushirou and gave him a luscious kiss goodnight. Then she smiled at the Girls and marched off to her tent.

"I'm telling you guys, lay off. This isn't her thing, okay? I'm not marrying her because she's Annie Oakley." The girls' father was not joking around.

"Who's Annie Oakley?" Rei asked her dark red eyes filled with confusion.

"Just cool it," Toushirou said with his teeth clenched. _'Actually, these girls are better at teasing her than I am…'_ His mind went back to a day when Yuki was still at the Academy.

~Flashback~

Toushirou was in his office, doing paperwork, as always. But he had received a call from Yuki's sensei about ten minutes. Yuki knocked on the door and went in. She stood by her father's desk until he told her to sit on the couch. She did and about two minutes later, he joined her.

"Alright, Yuki. I think I need an explanation. From what I heard from the teacher today about ten to fifteen minutes ago, you pulled a mean prank on a kid because he provoked you." Toushirou's smile was tight on his face. "Is that true?"

"…Yes…" Yuki was now scared to death. Her father was usually very nice to her and even spoiled her rotten a few times, but she had seen him get mad at his subordinates and heard that he also had a bad temper, much like her. However, she had never been a victim to her father's temper before. And the look on his face gave her evidence that she needed to pull herself together and be a woman. She didn't mind getting yelled at by her teachers or anyone else, but her father was a different story.

His eyebrow was twitching now and his eyes were beady and his face was dark. "Why?" Toushirou didn't like this. He didn't want to have to punish his own daughter for something that was forgivable. He didn't to yell at her. He rarely ever did.

"Cause he was making fun of you! He was calling you a monster and cold-hearted and heartless and stuff! I couldn't just stand there and do nothing about it!"

'_She may have my temper, but she has Hinamori's heart…'_ Toushirou wiped the tears that didn't exist yet from his teal eyes.

Yuki continued when her father didn't, her dark blue eyes now blazing with hatred for the guy that she pranked. "He said that you were weak and inexperienced! At first I tried to tell him that he was only talking about himself! But I found out today that that guy is a PINHEAD! He doesn't get anything I say! So I pretended to drop it and fortunately, he fell for it. So during break after that class, I thought about the prank and set it up, and guess what…IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!"

"So I heard…" He handed her a piece of paper. She reached out her little hand and took it.

"What is this?" She asked, looking at it.

"The medical report…" Her father answered calmly.

Yuki's eyes widened as she read the entire thing. "I…I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt…I just wanted to teach him a lesson…" Her dark blue eyes sparkled with fresh tears. She looked at her father hesitantly. "So what's my punishment?"

"That was your punishment…" Toushirou said, looking at his daughter square in the eye.

"What? Reading the medical report?"

"Yep…" The white-haired Captain leaned back against the couch and ran a hand through his hair. "You need to know how dangerous your pranks are…" He pulled his around-seven-or-eight-year-old daughter into a tight hug. "I'm not mad. And next time someone insults either you or me, tell me first and let me handle it, alright? Don't take matters into your own hands. It could get you in trouble, or worse, killed."

There was a short silence in which Yuki whispered, "Thanks, Dad…"

"So…Yuki…what exactly was the prank that you pulled on this kid?" Yuki's face immediately lit up and she told him the entire story…

~End of Flashback; At night~

Everything was quiet. An owl hooted in the distance. The girls snuck out of their tent and tiptoes over to Sora's tent.

The girls stepped inside and saw Sora fast asleep on her air mattress. They positioned themselves at Sora's head and feet and on the "count of three", they lifted her up on her mattress. It wasn't easy. As they carried her out, Sora moved her arm, brushing her hand across Yuki's nose. Yuki twitched her nose but kept going.

The girls stepped out of the tent, carrying Sora on her mattress. They quietly dragged the air mattress into the lake. They nodded to each other and pushed her off the shore.

As they watched their soon-to-be Mom drift away, Yuki said, "Sweet dreams, Mommy Dearest."

It was now dawn, and Sora was sound asleep on her back in the middle of the lake. A bird rested on her nose. She flopped an arm into the water.

"That feels so nice..." Sora said in her sleep.

She gently moved her fingers in the water, and then her eyes sprung open. She looked straight up as the bird flapped its wings and flew across her face. Sora sat up, realizing she was in the middle of the lake. She screamed, her voice echoing off the mountains.

"SHIIROUUUU!"

Toushirou stuck his head out of his tent, still half asleep, and spotted Sora thrashing around, screaming, in the middle of the lake.

The Tenth Division Captain groaned. "What's she doing in the lake?"

Yuki and Rei peeked out of their tent and saw Sora splashing back to the shore in her soaking wet pajamas. She stormed past the campfire, kicked the coffee pot into the air, and marched up to Toushirou.

"What's going on?" Toushirou used his best The-Captain-Just-Got-Up-But-You-Will-Listen-Anyway-Dammit voice. Yuki had heard it before, but Rei was different picture.

"Here's what's going on, buddy. The day we say "I do" is the day I ship those brats off to Karakura Town. Get the picture? It's me or them. Take your pick."

"Them." Rei's and Yuki's eyes widened.

"Excuse me?" Sora obviously did not expect that answer.

"T-H-E-M. Get the picture?" Toushirou gave his signature smirk, and Sora stomped off, screaming. Toushirou turned and winked at his twin daughters.

That evening, Momo was sitting on the front porch of the Tenth Division barracks, reading. She heard Toushirou and the girls pull up. She rose to greet them.

"Back so soon? Did you have fun?"

"Not exactly," Rei said.

"We've been punished through the end of the century. Literally," Yuki said.

Toushirou rolled his eyes. "Starting now. Go."

"Where's Sora?" Momo asked.

"We played a couple of harmless tricks on her and she kinda freaked out a little," Yuki said.

Toushirou snorted. "A little?" She showed his ex-wife the ring. "We broke up."

"Oh, jeez...This is all my fault. If I hadn't suggested she go..." Momo mumbled.

His teal eyes twinkled and his mouth was up in a smirk. "Tricked her would be more like it. Like mother, like daughters..."

"I'm really sorry, Toushirou," Momo said.

"We are too, Dad... really," Rei said.

"Will you forgive us?" Yuki asked.

"Up to your room!" Toushirou said. When they were gone, he smiled. "I gotta remember to thank them one day."

"You're relieved?" Momo had never seen her childhood friend so relieved in his entire life.

"I think I am." Toushirou suddenly had the feeling that he didn't want to talk about it. "I'm also starving... Matsumoto around?"

"She and Asano-san went off on a picnic around noon... yesterday." Toushirou looked up on that one. "Hopefully they'll be back... soonish..."

"Who would've thought my Lieutenant and your Butler... So, listen, how 'bout I whip us up something to eat?"

"You know how to cook now?" Momo lightly smiled.

"Of course, I know how to cook. I can make ramen... and ramen... and...

"Ramen sounds good," Momo interrupted him.

"Would you like a side of watermelon with that?" Toushirou looked knowingly at her.

Momo smiled wider. "Sure…I'd like that…"


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Last Chapter! Enjoy!

~11~11~11~11~

Chapter 11

Toushirou, now clean shaven and wearing fresh clothes, passed by Yuki's room. Inside, he saw Yuki and Rei in pajamas, getting into bed.

"Wow! You look so nice, where are you going," Yuki asked.

"Good night, Ladies!" Toushirou said, as he was shutting the door.

In the Kitchen/Messhall, Momo set the table as Toushirou entered.

"Smells good in here," he said.

"Really? I'm just boiling water," Momo said to him.

"Oh. Then it must be you..." Toushirou said softly, making Momo blush. He took out two wine glasses. "So what are you in the mood for, red or white?"

"I think red."

"Follow me..." Toushirou lead her to a locked room. He reached into his robe and pulled out an old-fashioned key. He opened the door to reveal his private wine cellar.

It was a cavernous space lit by beautiful lanterns and candles. The walls were lined with bottles of wine. Ladders leaned against the walls, library style.

"This is where I keep my private stash. Did you know I also collect wine?"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, I'm a man of limited interests," Toushirou said.

Momo laughed. Toushirou lead her into a small cozy room and pulled a bottle from a rack.

"Here's a 1921 Burgundy... They say the rain that year made this the best Burgundy ever harvested... Oh wait, you'll appreciate this one..." He showed her another one.

"Vi Day, 1946... incredible."

"Yeah, I love that..." He showed her another one. "The same wine Kurosaki's grandparents served at their wedding... a 152 Bordeaux. I think his father was conceived off this baby."

"What's this one?" Momo read aloud, "'Where Dreams Have No End... 1983.'"

"That one actually took me years to track down," Toushirou said, staring into space.

"Why, where's it from?" She looked at him. He finally made eye contact with her.

"It's the wine we drank at our wedding. I now have every bottle ever made."

Momo was completely thrown off. "You do?"

Toushirou nodded.

"Can we open one?" Momo asked.

"You're the only one I'd drink it with…"

Toushirou pulled a bottle from the shelf and dusted it off. He looked at the woman he dearly loved since they were kids, the same Shinigami Lieutenant who was betrayed and stabbed by Aizen, the one she loved, and saw that her eyes were teary.

"You okay?" Toushirou asked her gently.

"Just got a little dust in my eye..." Her voice slightly wavered.

"I can offer you a clean sleeve to..."

Momo immediately pulled back from the offer. "No, no, I'm fine, now. Really. All better." He always lent her a helping hand, and she usually took it, but ever since Aizen betrayed her and the Soul Society, she had always wanted to do things by herself.

"You don't always have to be so brave, you know. And you're also a bad liar, Hinamori…did you know that?" It was true. Throughout all the years they had know each other, Toushirou realized and knew that Momo was bad at lying.

"Oh, but I do, actually..." It was like Momo was speechless. She could never find comebacks for Toushirou's.

Just then, they heard the cellar door opening above them and footsteps.

"Anybody home?" Rangiku called.

Toushirou hesitated, and looked at Momo, who shrugged.

"Yeah... We're on our way up..." Toushirou reluctantly said.

Toushirou and Momo climbed the stairs and entered the kitchen where they were greeted by Keigo and Rangiku. Keigo wore shades and a Laker baseball cap.

"Welcome back... How was the picnic?" Momo asked.

"Who knew the man wanted to eat in L.A.? We drove eight hours to have a picnic in a city with no parks."

"But what a town! I saw mountains, beaches, I saw Michael Keaton, not to mention I found out I have the same hand size as John Wayne and the same shoe size as John Barrymore," Keigo said.

"The man is a lot to handle... but a lot of fun. How was the camping trip? Aren't you back early? Are we interrupting anything? We are. Let's go, Keigo."

"No, no, you're not interrupting anything. Are you hungry? In the mood for some ramen?"

Toushirou looked at Momo, wishing she hadn't invited them to stay. He still needed to talk to her. So bad. So bad that it hurt. Literally.

"You don't mind? We haven't eaten since Hearst Castle."

"No, no, it's fine," Toushirou said, softly.

"I'll set the table for two more..." Momo said, going to get some placemats and more chopsticks.

As Rangiku and Keigo joined them, Toushirou slipped the bottle of-wine into a cabinet and closed the door reluctantly.

A row of suitcases were lined up in front of the Tenth Division barracks. Momo came down the front steps and joined Rei and Keigo, who were dressed and ready to go.

"Okay, then, I guess that's that. We're really off this time."

Toushirou, Yuki, Rangiku, and Sammy watched sadly as the gather all their stuff. The girls hugged and promised to see each other over Thanksgiving. Rangiku and Keigo hugged and promises to see each other over Christmas.

But Toushirou and Momo hugged in a distant way and let go very quickly.

"Take care of yourself, Bedwetter," Toushirou softly said, refusing to make eye contact with her.

"You too, Shirou-chan," Momo said the same way.

Momo hugged Yuki hard and Toushirou hugged Rei. Momo, Rei and Keigo waved, and then walked through the Senkai Gate. Rangiku, Yuki and Sammy all looked up to Toushirou, who turned away.

"Oto-san…" Yuki whispered. "Gomenasai…"

In the World of the Living, next morning, the little trio arrived at the Hinamori house. Momo and Rei entered, dropping their bags by the front door.

"Hi ... We're home." They didn't hear anything out of Kon.

"Kon?" Rei called out.

"I'll check his study," her mother said.

Momo entered the study and sure enough, there he was, sitting on the desk, hidden behind The Financial Times.

"Hey stranger..." Momo said softly.

The paper came down and Momo saw that it was Yuki sitting behind the desk.

"Hi, Mom. Did you know that Urahara has a special portal device that allows you to travel between the two worlds in half the usual time?"

"No, I didn't…" Rei arrived in the door behind Momo, shocked to see Yuki.

"What are you doing here?"

"It took us around thirty seconds after you left to realize we didn't want to lose you two again," Yuki said.

"We?" Momo asked.

Toushirou appeared from the doorway behind Yuki. "We. I made the mistake of not coming after you once, Hina and I wasn't going to do it again... no matter how brave you are."

Momo looked across the study at Toushirou, her eyes once again filling up, a smile on her face.

"Arigatou."

They stood frozen, their eyes locked on each other.

As the two girls slipped from the room, the two lovebirds shared the first-in-a-long-time-kiss.

Outside the study, Yuki and Rei were celebrating.

"We did it! We did it!"

They hugged each other tightly.

"It's unbelievable," Re said.

"Oh my God, you guys are gonna love living in Soul Society."

"What do you mean Soul Society? You two are going to love living in Karakura Town..."

"Karakura Town?"

*EPILOUGE* (Just for you guys! ^_^)

They worked out their living space problem and they lived in Soul Society. The family got a mansion, the Hitsugaya mansion, so they wouldn't have to worry about being separated. Momo did indeed get her position back. And a couple years later, Yuki and Rei received a new baby brother.

You may make up the rest if you wish.

~11~11~11~11~

A/N: If you want to do a sequel to this, that's fine by me. Just notify me first. Review, people! And watch for 'Kidnapped', a prequel/side story to the Parent Trap!


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